Review: Katy Perry exposes her truth in new flick Part of Me 3D

Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D
Review: Jordana Borensztajn

The 3D documentary takes viewers on a highly emotional journey that covers the glittery pop icon’s sheltered childhood, her rise to fame, her connection with her fans, her global success and her chart-topping talent.

The movie offers a behind-the-scenes look into the sweet, candy-filled moments that fans know and love, while also offering a rare glimpse into elements of her life that's nobody's ever seen before; her love life and career exploding simultaneously, the trauma of her marriage breakdown, and most importantly, surrounding herself with a strong network and support base to join in celebrating her wins, and help carry her through the tough times.

Katy Perry’s songs from Teenage Dream form the perfect soundtrack to the narrative that unfolds in Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D. As each element of the story is revealed, it's backed up, and supported, by sparkly live performance footage from her huge California Dreams world tour, proving just how closely her diary-esque-penned tracks reflect the key moments that have shaped her life.

We learn that Perry dreamed of becoming a star at the tender age of nine. Growing up with travelling minister parents, Perry was banned from listening to pop music and was content cruising down a gospel music path until she discovered Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know”. Morissette’s honesty and raw emotion stirred something powerful inside Perry, triggering her deep desire to follow her heart and write music that communicated her story – something she still does today, nine years on and three albums later.

Perry’s early difficulties in the music biz are well-documented, with music industry experts trying to persuade her to be 'the next' Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne and Ashlee Simpson, when all she wanted to be was the 'first' Katy Perry.

“People saw me as damaged goods. I was feeling lost,” she said.

“She continued to write, she continued to play shows and it was encouragement to see the fans respond,” her manager Bradford Cobb explained. “Being at these record labels and being told ‘That’s not the right song, that’s not what people want to hear’ -- the audience was telling her something different. ‘You are doing what you should be doing. Keep writing those songs’.”

The documentary details the impact of her breakthrough single “I Kissed A Girl” and how it launched her down a path that's resulted in five #1 singles from the same album – a feat matched only by the King of Pop Michael Jackson.

In contrast to the dolled-up and picture-perfect starlet we see turning heads on red carpets all over the world, Perry is featured in bed gear and gym gear – sans make-up – exposing her zits and the bags under her eyes – showing the world that without layers of make-up and expensive outfits she’s just like the rest of us.

Backstage and performance footage is featured among interviews with people near and dear to Perry including her sister Angela Hudson, her assistant Tamra Natisin, her managers Bradford Cobb and Steven Jensen, her stylist Johnny Wujek, her grandmother and more.

We learn that despite her best efforts to fit quality time into her gruelling schedule with hubby Russell Brand, their marriage didn’t turn out to be the fairytale she hoped. “Being in love is the dream and then the reality of making it work with the marriage is not like the movies. There’s a lot more compromise, a lot more sacrifice.”

The most jaw-dropping moment was filmed shortly before the biggest show of the California Dreams tour, in Brazil. Perry was filmed lying in a make-up chair, weeping and distraught, having just found a necklace that Brand gave her a gift that she thought she’d misplaced. Hiding under sunglasses, and quietly sobbing, she ignored all questions fired at her, as well as her manager and assistant’s prompts to move on with the show preparation. When she finally made the call to go on with the concert, her tears were covered up with make-up but nothing could hide the heartache she was experiencing. Deep breaths were the only thing that stopped Perry from completely crumbling to the ground.

As she made her way up on stage, she stood tall, forced a huge smile on her face and put on the best damn show she could. This moment, where she put her pain on hold so her fans would experience happiness, was a defining moment. It didn't just show her professionalism; it showed how big her heart is and how much she cares about the people that come out to show their love and support for her.

When discussing the intention behind her tour's crazy costumes, elaborate meet and greet set-ups, unbelievable stage sets and the overall impact of her unforgettable shows, Perry said: “I want to make people smile… to have a heart full of hope and happiness and to leave this show with a shimmer in their eyes.” Perry achieved that goal with her tour, and has now backed it up with her huge blockbuster.

Katy Perry: Part of Me doesn't just inspire viewers to have the courage to follow their dreams and the strength to stay true to their vision, but it shows fans and non-fans how important it is, no matter who you are or where you’re from, to surround yourself with a strong and supportive network of friends and family in order to survive life's highs and lows.

Katy Perry proves to be the ultimate role model because she's been gutsy enough to expose to the world what many artists won't; that behind her flawless and perfect media portrayal, lies a person that laughs at computer fart sounds, gets called a 'show-off' by her grandma, loves to pig out on pizza and hot dogs, looks forward to kicking back with her besties, and has breakdowns and teary moments just like the rest of us.

VIDEO: Katy Perry: Part of Me - Fan snippet
VIDEO: Katy Perry: Part of Me LA premiere
VIDEO: Katy Perry: Part of Me - Visit to Grandma
VIDEO: Katy Perry Part of Me - Official trailer
VIDEO: Katy Perry Part of Me - Meet Johnny
VIDEO: Katy Perry discusses her 3D film with Ellen
VIDEO: Katy Perry's "Wide Awake" music video
GALLERY: Katy Perry's rocking purple hair
GALLERY: Katy Perry's Australian premiere of Part of Me
GALLERY: Katy Perry gets in theme for Part of Me screening in Hollywood