Typically, when you sit down to watch a biographical documentary, you expect to leave the theatre having learned a great deal about the subject’s life. Quincy achieves all that and so much more.
In its two-hour runtime, the film covers the extraordinary life of Quincy Jones–one of the most highly accomplished and celebrated musicians, producers, and humanitarians of his generation. Archival clips and audio that explain his childhood and earlier career are interwoven with footage of the Quincy of today–a still vibrant and genuinely funny man who takes on massive projects despite his age and struggles with health.
That only scratches the surface of this beautiful portrait, though: Quincy is a deeply personal and unexpectedly moving work of art. It’s absolutely painful to watch him almost fade away into addiction, and we relate to him on such a human level by the end despite the fact that he’s such a star. Rashida Jones, Quincy’s daughter, co-directed the film, which allowed for an intimate peak into his daily life and the issues that plague him. Hearing that Rashida Jones was a director on the project did spur some questions of bias, but she ultimately succeeds wonderfully in using that closeness as an avenue to create an honest portrayal of her father rather than a superficial feature-length congratulation. The Q & A session with Rashida immediately following the film further solidified the desire to create a picture that not only told the facts of Quincy’s life, but also captured his soul and how he existed and still exists in this world.
After watching Quincy, you’re in complete awe of the breadth of work this man has completed and the effect that he has had on the world–he not only became successful as a musician in his own right, but he scored and later produced films, elevated the careers of many-a-musician (including Michael Jackson), and did an astounding amount of humanitarian work within and outside of the music industry. The legendary status bestowed upon Quincy is by no means unearned. He is a man who lives up to the tall tales, and lucky enough for us, he has graciously accepted the role and filled it well. Quincy Jones recognizes his faults and flaws, and most importantly, he realizes that he’s human. Countless times across the runtime of the film, we see him dispense his knowledge to his children, students, and comrades, and we’re so lucky to have him today.
Quincy is the lovingly made, entertaining, and all-encompassing tribute that Quincy Jones deserves to have. Hopefully this documentary along with the truly wonderful works of art he has produced will cement Quincy’s legacy as a musical god among men.
SCAD Radio gives Quincy a strong 9 out of 10.
