‘Grace Jones’ a fascinating glimpse of icon
Jamaican-born singer, songwriter, supermodel, actress and 1980s-era disco goddess Grace Jones is still giving concert performances in her signature black corset and haute couture accessories, including make-up that qualifies as a tribal art form, and it is apparent that she was a pioneer performance artist, who bridges the gap from Carmen Miranda to Lady Gaga and beyond.
The subject of superstylish documentary “Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami” by English filmmaker Sophie Fiennes (yes, those Fiennes), Jones, who used to show up at New York City press screenings in the ’80s with Andy Warhol in tow, has not changed much, physically or temperamentally. In her late 60s, she is still statuesque and beautiful, strikingly androgynous and fiery-tempered.
Listening to her chew out and sweet talk such colleagues as Jamaican bass player and record producer Robbie Shakespeare is one of the film’s joys. Another is seeing her in the company of her family in Jamaica, where her accent returns like the ghost of a childhood pet and she can pick unselfconsciously
at a fried fish head. A third is watching her stand frequently alone upon a stage, designed and lit to give a dream-like effect, and hold an audience in thrall.
“Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami” is not a look back at Jones’ life. It is a look at her life now. We see Jones reunited with graphic designer, stage designer and former lover Jean-Paul Goude, whose album covers and photographs helped make her an icon, one who appeared on the covers of Elle and Vogue when such a thing was unheard of for a dark-skinned black woman. The film alternates between concert performances, music studios, trips to Jamaica, New York City and Paris, and scenes shot backstage and in hotel rooms. Like Jones, the film is mesmerizing. Pop a bottle of champagne and enjoy.