Sinatra: All or Nothing at All

....Frank Sinatra was a genuine artist, and his work will endure as long as man and women can hear and ponder and feel.. In the end that's all that truly matters."- Pete Hamill.

Right.

This is the best and most honest and complex documentary about Frank Sinatra I've seen so far. He had his flaws, like every human being, but he tried and did his best.

Sinatra: All or Nothing at All (2015)

**** (out of 4)

Highly ambitious documentary that takes a look at the rise of Frank Sinatra from his way out of New Jersey to the rise in the charts and eventually conqurering Hollywood, Las Vegas and anything else that he wanted to.

Not too many people could have their life story take up four hours but that's exactly what we get here with SINATRA: ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL, which is certainly the perfect title for this. The documentary covers the life of Sinatra as we get to hear his story in his own words. Hours and hours worth of interview footage was used to come up with the story structure here, which is also done according to the eleven songs that the singer would do at his 1971 retirement concert.

There's no question that this is a highly entertaining documentary that works on many levels. The greatest thing about it is that there are some terrific video footage of various concerts, radio specials, television specials and other items. There's no doubt that a lot of this footage hasn't been seen before and that's the greatest thing this documentary offers. Plus, you've also got the interview footage with Sinatra, which is great fun and especially since it is used to tell his own story.

Several others are also interviewed and we get to hear their voices including Sinatra's children, his first wife and even Mia Farrow. The various high points of his life are discussed including him breaking onto the radio, taking Hollywood by storm and winning an Oscar, his continued rise on the music charts, his various women, The Rat Pack and his connection to JFK. His mob association is also discussed throughout the four hours.

I will say that there were some problems with the film including the fact that the last twenty-five plus years of his life are discussed during an "encore" that only lasts around ten or so minutes. It's really too bad they just didn't extend the running time to take a look at his later years since it's doubtful another documentary is going to come along like this one. I'd also argue that the documentary took it rarther light on Sinatra and really didn't dig into any of the darker stuff around him.

With all of that said, at four hours the film really does seem to be too short, which says a lot about the film as well as the man himself.

An American documentary; A thorough and fascinating insight into Frank Sinatra's career trajectory but also the affect he had on others. The boy from Hoboken, New Jersey was not only the most popular musical entertainer of the 20th Century but by his own resourcefulness, drive and determination he was a man of immense influence on the political world. The film gives a fair balance of a man who had flaws and does not shy away from detailing the missteps, failings, and personal flaws.

This documentary was absolutely fabulous. Sinatra has always been my favorite, as his music is what I was raised on. I can openly admit though, that I only knew bits and pieces about his life before watching the documentary. I feel so informed after having watched hours about the man's life, and I greatly appreciate that the documentary included high points as well as low points. To know a person, you have to know all aspects of his/her personality, and I think that this documentary did a wonderful job of trying to cover so much material in only a few hours.

I would definitely recommend watching this documentary if you want to learn a little bit more about Ol' Blue Eyes and the fantastic work that he accomplished in his lifetime!

Amazingly beautiful, heartfelt, honest, and beyond Special. First I've Always LOVED Frank Sinatra, what a man, what a talent, a hard worker with a dream who loved his family, friends, audience. I'm beyond in love with this documentary. You will be too!