Here’s the deal: this documentary about the much-celebrated songwriter Diane Warren is a terrific work about one of the most successful creators in pop music. We get great stories about her upbringing with a difficult mother and loving, supportive father; her early years as a songwriter, trying to get her tunes in front of singers; a look at her personal life—or lack there of; and most of all, her unique work ethic and approach to songwriting that consumes her life and gives her little time for anything else. We also discover that she has earned 15 Academy Award nominations and never won, which is a record (the Academy did give her an honorary Oscar in 2022, the first ever for a songwriter).
All of these elements make for a highly entertaining movie. The problem is that the music that has resulted from this four-decades-long career is literally a list of songs a mile long that I would turn off if they ever came on the radio.
Many of these songs (as the nominations would imply) were written for movies, and Warren does have the uncanny ability to match a song and artist, as well as write songs that capture the vibe of a film quite specifically. “Rhythm of the Night” (from The Last Dragon); “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” (Mannequin); “Because You Loved Me” (Up Close and Personal); “How Do I Live” (Con Air); “Til It Happens to You” (The Hunting Ground); and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (Armageddon). And those are just the movie songs.
She’s also worked with Cher (whose interview segments in this movie are hilarious), Jennifer Hudson, Gloria Estefan, Tina Turner, Belinda Carlisle, Taylor Dayne, Gwen Stefani, Toni Braxton, Micheal Bolton, Mariah Carey, and the list goes on. Her songs are iconic, and what’s more impressive is that the endless list of love songs seems to come from a lifetime of mostly not being in love. Her songwriting is a performance (she does make her own demos), and because she has always considered herself an underdog (despite the fact that she owns the building where her publishing company is based), her remarkable collaborations seem to be the product of a massive lack of confidence.
Directed by Bess Kargman (the 2011 documentary about a ballet competition, First Position), Diane Warren: Relentless forces us to shift our perspective slightly when it is revealed that Warren was diagnosed late in life with Asperger's syndrome, which makes us look differently at her adherence to a specific work schedule and inability to sit for a long interview without getting restless. But it also makes us see her ability to be so incredibly prolific as an offshoot of her condition. Did it open up parts of her brain that made her songwriting process easier, or result in such relatable songs? These questions aren’t answered in the movie, but they certainly encourage the thought process.
Watching Warren work is the gift Relentless gives us. You don’t have to like the music to find value in the documentary (clearly!). But seeing her compose, record, and work with artists is the heart of this film; being exposed to her charming personality and rebellious sense of humor only adds to that.
The film is now playing in a limited theatrical run.
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