In a time when rock and roll was dominated by men, one female band, Fanny, refused to let the world tell them what to do or who to be. This band has existed in the back of rock and roll catalogs, never to truly see the light of day–but they’re back after decades in the shadows, and they are ready to show the world, once and for all, who they are and what they’re made of. Fanny: The Right to Rock tells the story of this groundbreaking rock band as they navigate the world of discrimination and the harrowing realities of life.
The members of Fanny are brilliant in more ways than one. Yes, they are impeccably talented musicians–and there’s no way to dispute that. However, what’s even more important, more intriguing about them, is that they are intelligent, passionate, powerful, and downright entertaining in a series of ways. For all intents and purposes Fanny: The Right to Rock is a documentary about a band–but the women themselves are far more entertaining–and their personalities propel this film to a place that isn’t often reached in this corner of cinema. Fanny: The Right to Rock is fun, funny, and enlightening–it’s everything that it needs to be in order to find success; and every bit of success (even considering all that this entire team does) stems from these uber-interesting women.
I’ve downloaded Fanny’s entire catalog of music. While that’s most certainly a testament to how stellar a band Fanny is, it’s also a testament to how Fanny: The Right to Rock showcases these ladies’ talents. The film is so perfectly laid out and it perfectly tells the story of this band in a way that is easy to follow–but it also allows viewers to truly understand the content.
The film is about more than music, it’s about finding your way in a world that wants you to fail. Fanny has faced backlash since day one, and even to this day the band faces hardships that force them to take a step back and reevaluate their role in the world of music. Fanny: The Right to Rock doesn’t pull any punches–but it’s not aggressive either. It finds the right balance as it tells this story from day one until present day. Viewers feel like they are being pulled into the story of this incredible band, and Fanny: The Right to Rock never lets up, constantly allowing viewers’ understanding to strengthen along the way.
I had never heard of Fanny before watching Fanny: The Right to Rock, so in the opening moments it can be challenging for viewers like me to appreciate the things that they say and do. So Writer-Director Bobbi Jo Hart bridges the gap between viewer and film quickly. Again, while I wasn’t familiar with the titular rock band going into the film, I was familiar with David Bowie and Def Leppard. Featuring quotes from Bowie and including the latter’s lead singer Joe Elliott allowed me to better understand and appreciate all that I was being told in the early going. Hart knows how to captivate an audience–and she does so from the very beginning.
Fanny: The Right to Rock is a fun documentary that had me rocking out in my seat at six-thirty in the morning. The film never relents, providing us a beautiful soundtrack that will likely exist permanently in my head–and I wouldn’t have it any other way. While documentaries can sometimes struggle to charm audiences, sometimes struggle to really pique viewers’ interests from beginning to end, Fanny: The Right to Rock never struggles in this regard, and I love the film every step of the way.
Written & Directed by Bobbi Jo Hart.
Starring Jean Millington, June Millington, Brie Howard Darling, Alice de Buhr, Nickey Barclay, Patti Quatro, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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