• Release year: 2024
• Director: Marie Losier.
• Producers: Sébastien Andres, Carole Chassaing, and Alice Lemaire.
• Editor: Aël Dallier Vega.
• Cinematography by: Jivko Darakchiev and Marie Losier.

Shotgun Commentary: fascinating insight into experimental art and Peaches’ personal life.

Review

Peaches Goes Bananas follows Canadian artist Peaches for a few months, showcasing both the personal and the professional side of her life. It features some interviews, as well as the recording of some candid moments, to show the most human side of the singer, as well as her creation process.

A lead to follow

The documentary begins during a photoshoot. In it, Peaches is interviews naked about her age and relationship with her body. At almost sixty, she is still performing in her underwear, an act that defies all preconceptions about age and prejudice about the bodies of women over twenty-five.

There has been a hopeful wave of female professionals in the entertainment industry that go against the norm in their mission to prove that women are just as wonderful, desirable, and powerful at any age. From singers like Madonna and Cher, to actresses like Michelle Yeoh and Demi Moore, more and more women are standing up against ageism in the industry and in society. For every teen-dating Leonardo DiCaprio, you have an inspiring Jamie Lee Curtis, and that alone makes you hope for a better future, even in the face of recent events.

Peaches joins is part of this movement in her own irreverent way, making of ageing and sexuality a joke, a means to a bigger, more important message: women don’t disappear after their thirties, people don’t disappear after their thirties. You deserve to have fun at any age, to be rebellious at any age, and you have content you can relate to at any age. Granted, a lot of the audience you see in the performances featured in the film are young people, but there is a fair share of diversity, and her example alone is already a step in the right direction.

The person behind the artist

The feature makes sure to cover all aspects of her life so, naturally, her family has a big role in the work. The firsts you see is Peaches’ sister, who is fighting a degenerative disease that put her in a wheelchair. Despite her unfortunate condition, she is as optimist and supportive as it gets. Anyone who has a sister will definitely be moved by their bond and maybe even feel the urge to text them to catch up. They love each other deeply and go through good and bad times together, their relationship being the most wholesome part of the piece.

Of course, her parents are also a piece of the puzzle. Through archival videos and Peaches’ narrations, you get a sense of who they were and, more importantly, what they meant to Peaches and her work. Speaking of which, her creative process, as well as her relationship with her partner, are the next part of the documentary.

All in all, Peaches Goes Bananas is a well-rounded documentary with the potential to mean a lot to its audience regardless of their prior knowledge of the artist. Behind the crazy entertainer persona is a human being with an important message to share and this film makes sure to highlight that. Whether you like experimental art or not, everyone gets old and everyone goes through hardship. Thus, everyone can relate to Peaches up to a point, and will almost certainly be moved by the documentary.

If you happen to be in Glasgow, you can watch this film now as it is part of the Glasgow Film Festival programme.

Advice to take from this movie:

• Don’t be afraid to be yourself, at any age.
• Your age, like gender, does not define you.
• Sometimes being silly is a symptom of being sane.

What’s your take? Have you watched Peaches Goes Bananas? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀