Never Too Late’ glimpses into gay rock icon’s life

Elton John has looked back on his past in many documentaries and concert films. The latest one, “Elton John: Never Too Late,” is much more frank about his life in the ‘70s than the present. As so many recent films about musicians do, it plays like an exercise in PR management. John presents his life story the way he’d like to tell it: surviving abusive parents by discovering his gift for music, becoming the world’s biggest pop star only to multiply his unhappiness by trying to bury it in alcohol, cocaine and casual sex, coming out, getting sober and becoming a family man. Honestly, Dexter Fletcher’s 2019 biopic “Rocketman” took more chances than “Elton John: Never Too Late.” The larger-than-life drama of his music and image were suited to a musical.

His actual life story isn’t so neat. For one thing, “Elton John: Never Too Late” brings up his troubled relationship with manager John Reid, the first person with whom he had sex, but never acknowledges his 1984 marriage to Renate Blauel, which lasted four years. (To be fair, this may be due to her lawsuit against him following the release of his memoir.) The film plays back a recording of the Rolling Stone interview in which John came out as bi, but does not probe the shifts in his public identity. (After he divorced Blauel, John declared that he was gay.) It skips over the ‘80s, when he has said that his addictions kept him away from the AIDS activism he’d later pursue, entirely.

For fans of John’s early work, “Elton John: Never Too Late” does offer a glimpse into how it was made, with lyricist Bernie Taupin giving him words he put to music. He studied classical piano, and although he says he never became skilled enough to perform Beethoven or Bach, this background helped him write songs quickly. (He wishes he could play another instrument.) He still sounds excited when he reminisces about recording his self-titled 1970 album with an orchestra. Despite his sobriety, he looks back fondly on stories of partying with John Lennon in Los Angeles around 1974.

Some of the sanitized nature of “Elton John: Never Too Late” comes from the fact that John’s husband David Furnish co-directed it. That hasn’t always been the case. In 1997, Furnish directed a much better documentary about John, “Tantrums and Tiaras.” The man presented in that film was cranky and difficult, exuding the impression he’d exchanged an addiction to substances for one to shopping. He allowed himself to be filmed speaking with his mother about his 1975 suicide attempt and having a fit of panic before a music video shot, reflecting his anxieties about his looks.

Furnish’s 2024 film smooths off those difficult edges. John is presented as a devoted father who worries that his two sons will grow up after his death. Scenes from his 2022 North American tour, leading up to a farewell concert at L.A.’s Dodger Stadium, are cut with audio from a conversation between John and music journalist Alexis Petridis, which formed the basis of his memoir. Rather than rummaging through a wardrobe that’s bigger than many clothing boutiques, John is shown recording his radio show for Apple Music, happily interviewing much younger musicians. He doesn’t display a hint of the grumpiness that came across in “Tantrums and Tiaras.” Has he really grown so much more relaxed and content, or was it left on the cutting room floor?

John says that his image was a project of reinvention. He transformed from a balding nerd to a rock star. His delight in putting on outlandish costumes during that period made him seem like a boy who loved dress-up games. But at this point, old age is starting to catch up with him. Earlier this month, he declared that he’d lost the sight in his right eye due to an infection. “Elton John: Never Too Late” reflects a concern with legacy, manicuring John’s difficult, complicated life manicured into a smooth arc of excess and redemption. For a documentary, it’s far too neat a piece of storytelling.