Review: Lady Gaga’s controversial documentary ‘Five Foot Two’ focuses too much on her personal battles

Lady Gaga, lifted up to the ceiling during the Super Bowl halftime show nearly two years ago at Levi’s Stadium, let her shiny high heels woven with tiny pearls dangle beneath her as she disappeared into the ceiling.  

The screen faded to white and the words, “Five Foot Two,” appeared, cueing the start of the recent documentary about the singer.

“Five Foot Two,” which was released Sept. 29 on Netflix, gives fans an intimate look into Gaga’s life. Prior to its Netflix debut, it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 8.

The film is directed by Chris Moukarbel and follows Gaga through the making and release of her fifth studio album, “Joanne,” in 2016. It also gives fans a look into her Super Bowl halftime show performance, her critical hip injury and her breakup with her fiancé in 2016, Taylor Kinney, after five years together.

In addition, part of the documentary mentions the loneliness she has faced.  Gaga talks about how she felt empty at home by herself after being the subject of so much attention every day.

“It’s hard enough when love isn’t working out the way you want it to and you have to walk down the street with somebody going, ‘Are You OK?’” Gaga recalled. “I had to go into the deepest pain in my life. I had to go into the part of myself that you don’t want to face.”

The documentary also gives an intriguing glimpse into Gaga’s challenges with a condition called fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by tenderness and pain in deep tissues and muscle. Many people responded with skepticism and doubt that she was telling the truth about her disease, since fibromyalgia has been suspected of being brought on by anxiety and depression rather than any form of physical ailment.

“I use the word ‘suffer’ not for pity, or attention, and have been disappointed to see people online suggest that I’m being dramatic, making this up, or playing the victim to get out of touring,” Gaga said.

The documentary about her is aimed at raising awareness and tackling ignorance about this mostly invisible illness. Furthermore, she provides a strong role since she doesn’t let her suffering stop her from doing what she loves: performing on stage in front of her global fan base.

Contrary to popular belief, “Five Foot Two” does not refer to the Gaga’s height (which, by the way, is 5”1’). Instead, it refers to a song called “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue” that plays during the baptism of her friend’s baby.

Although “Five Foot Two” is a deeply personal look into Gaga’s struggles, the documentary has received mixed reviews from the public.

Some people even went as far to question Gaga’s album “Joanne,” because Gaga was pictured mourning the death of her father’s sister throughout the film, even though Gaga never met her.

Many of Gaga’s fans were extremely disappointed by the documentary because it focused on her personal battles with depression, loneliness and fibromyalgia. Instead, they would have rather watched a documentary geared at the successes and obstacles she faced in her musical career.

Because of this, some reviews theorized that Gaga was trying to distract the audience from the downfall that was “Joanne.” I support this theory because “Joanne” is her second worst album debut, second to only “Cheek to Cheek” from 2014.

Critic Jessie Cooper of “Odyssey” said the documentary was “alright but didn’t address what fans wanted to know about: why her songs have been somewhat unsuccessful for such a star like her.”

I agree with Cooper, and I can say that I disliked “Five Foot Two,” because of its depressing aura surrounding Gaga’s personal problems and battles. I would have prefered if she made her documentary that focused more on her journey to where she is today.