From In The Bubble

After watching Britney Spears: For The Record it’s impossible to not be sympathetic of her situation. The documentary is shot beautifully, the scenes depicting the swarms of paparazzi she faces on a daily basis are some of the most powerful of the film. However, the parts most telling and worth watching, are the ones featuring Britney alone, answering questions. While she doesn’t often go into depth about her life over the past two years, her openness and vulnerability are touching, and you can’t help but start rooting for her.

Watching her speak, you can see the longing in her eyes for the banality of life we all take for granted. Her desire is to be able to walk down the street, enjoying the cool night air and feeling the energy of the people around her, without being mobbed by fans and photographers. When she talks about the simple things she wants but might not ever have, her pain is evident.

We connect to each other in many different ways, but the most common is through our suffering. Pain is universal, and though it is entirely unique to each person, we relate to each other on that level, through our sadness. It is exceedingly easy to connect to Britney throughout the documentary because her struggles are so visible and she makes no attempt to hide them.

In order to get something out of watching the documentary, you really have to let go of your preconceived notions about her. The tabloids have been rife with unflattering stories about her for the last two years, and it’s easy to feel like you know who she is because of that. You can’t forget that she is not just a celebrity or a singer. First and foremost she’s a human being, just like the rest of us.

 The most fascinating part of the documentary takes place in the last 30 seconds….ending with this exchange.

Britney: Now I try to avoid situations from the past that may threaten me.

Interviewer: How do you do that?

Britney: I go through life like a karate kid.

She breaks out into a genuinely happy smile and in that moment it is evident that she really is back, and there is a lot we have yet to see from her.