Amanda Micheli documents Jennifer Lopez’s journey to performing at the 2020 Super Bowl in the moving documentary “Halftime,” streaming on Netflix Tuesday. Though the film focuses on Lopez’s preparations for the performance, including her awards season run for the 2019 film “Hustlers,” “Halftime” also serves as a look back at Lopez’s remarkable career, as Jenny From the Block transformed into the global phenomenon J.Lo.
“Halftime” offers a peek behind the curtain at the grueling rehearsals for the halftime show, which was a run through the greatest hits of her career, a collaboration with Shakira, and an an opportunity for Lopez to make a powerful statement about Latino identity in the U.S. during a very fraught political moment. Throughout, Micheli takes us on a journey through Lopez’s roots in the Bronx, her big break as a Fly Girl on “In Living Color,” her long film career, and the release and promotion of the critically acclaimed film “Hustlers,” for which Lopez came so close to her first Oscar nomination (be prepared to be outraged anew that she missed out). The film manages to position the massive global music/film superstar as an underdog in the industry, having faced incredible racist and sexist taunting, fighting through every obstacle to have a real impact on the media and culture landscape.
The film will likely make you look at J.Lo in a new light, and, it will definitely make you want to revisit some of her greatest hits, whether it’s YouTube clips of the legendary halftime show, or her early beginnings on “In Living Color” (alongside “Dancing With The Stars” judge Carrie Ann Inaba).
