REVIEW: P!nk juggles motherhood, stardom in “All I Know So Far”

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P!nk performs on Funhouse Tour.

The latest of several Amazon-produced musical documentaries, “All I Know So Far” follows two weeks in the life of pop superstar P!nk as she prepares for a high-stakes pair of concerts at England’s Wembley stadium. As P!nk (whose real name is Alecia Moore) counts down the days through rigorous dance, vocal and gymnastics rehearsals, she reflects on her career as an American pop megastar, and her dedication to her two children, Willow and Jameson. 

Though not a particularly innovative or revealing documentary, “All I Know So Far” insightfully examines the often blurry work/life balance for musicians, and the strength it takes to be both a mother and a global superstar — two full-time gigs.

As far as pure filmmaking style goes, “All I Know So Far” is nothing new in the world of documentaries about musicians, and certainly pales in comparison to some of the gutsier docs to come out of 2021 — Billie Eilish’s “The World’s a Little Blurry” and Charli XCX’s “Alone Together” both push boundaries in a much more interesting and exciting way. Instead, “All I Know So Far” opts to go the traditional – if predictable – route, but in doing so, closes itself to any sense of authenticity or understanding with its audience.

Glossy, glitzy, and put together are four words I’d use to describe the doc — which isn’t typically what one hopes for in what should be a look into the side of a well-known artist that we haven’t seen before. Much of the appeal of documentary filmmaking is to take a deep dive into a previously unexplored or scarcely discussed subject — but if you’re looking for juicy tidbits, you’ll leave disappointed. For better or for worse, P!nk plays her cards close to her chest with “All I Know So Far” — those who are already fans will leave knowing just as much about her as they did when the film started. 

While it may be disappointingly scarce in terms of vulnerability or openness, what “All I Know So Far” does bring to the table is a central thesis that goes relatively unaddressed in the music industry: Where and how do female artists find the time to serve as both performers and mothers? From the film’s opening seconds, it’s made explicitly clear that, more than anything else, P!nk continues performing for two things: the love of her fans, and her children. Willow and Jameson are almost bigger stars of the documentary than P!nk herself, and as the artist’s many graphic tees will tell you, she’s very much a mama bear type of parent.

With someone as detail-oriented and perfectionistic as P!nk, though, it would be odd to expect otherwise — in both her role as a mother and as the leader of a 200+ team of dancers, makeup artists, roadies and production staff, she leads by example. Never letting anyone see her sweat is the name of the game with P!nk, and though such a stolid outlook on life doesn’t particularly lend itself well to a documentary, it’s an admirable attitude to have, and one likely borne out of necessity. 

Purely because so much of the movie revolves around P!nk’s devotion to her children, “All I Know So Far” will likely run very stale very quickly if you don’t particularly like children, or have kids yourself. The film very much goes all in on this central idea of motherhood vs. stardom, and while it’s certainly a concept worth exploring, the film is more of a celebration of P!nk’s skill as a mother than it is an examination of the pressure that can bubble up from such a draining way of life. 

Of course, the documentary dabbles in the standard fare as well — P!nk gushing about how much she loves her fans, how her music saved their lives, etc. etc., but it often comes off as insincere or over-produced, especially with her constant narration that does tend to feel borderline narcissistic. Still, “All I Know So Far” understands what it’s trying to do, and does so well enough. While it may not be a groundbreaking feat of documentary filmmaking, the bond between P!nk and her children, which sits at the heart of “All I Know So Far,” elevates the film from unremarkable to just this side of memorable.