★★★1/2

Long overdue for a story of his life, Dawn Porter’s engaging, if not halting, documentary, Luther: Never Too Much, puts legendary soul singer Luther Vandross front and center. With Vandross dying at just 54 years old in 2005 from complications from a prior stroke, some of his classic songs have remained in and around modern streaming playlists, but his prowess as a vocalist, and as someone who influenced a generation of soul-stirring crooners, seems to have been forgotten.

Porter amasses a number of “talking heads” to give Vandross his flowers, if you will; a comprehensive (re)introduction to the man who was just as proficient in making women swoon in the audience with a powerful love song, as he was writing a catchy ad jingle or hook. Cutting his teeth as a backing vocalist, Vandross’ work with David Bowie and subsequent tour with Bowie in the mid-1970s opened a number of doors for him professionally. Then, he landed his first #1 R&B hit with the classic “Never Too Much,” a song sampled nearly 70 times since its 1981 release.

Establishing Vandross’ legacy proves easy. Digging deeper into who Vandross was away from the cameras and recording studios proves a little more of a challenge. Minus a tragic car crash in 1986, which claimed the life of a brother of Vandross’ protege and friend, the singer largely existed scandal-free. His weight would fluctuate. And he steered clear around rumors of his sexuality - confirmed as gay by Patti LaBelle years after his death. What becomes clear is that everyone seemed to love working with and being around the man.

For a movie offering such depth of knowledge of his musical career, Luther: Never Too Much suffers from an inability to dig deeper into the very things that may answering some of the lingering questions about the rather secretive Grammy Award winner. While we immerse ourselves in Vandross’ stunning musical talent and enjoy stories from behind-the-scenes of how his music was styled and crafted, we ironically are kept at a similar distance Vandross insisted upon throughout his career. Though we do learn that he often struggled to have a relationship emblematic of the love he wrote and sang about in so many classic ballads and hit songs, Porter retains a veil of mystery around a performer widely regarded as one of the greatest vocalists of all time.

Luther: Never Too Much was screened as part of the 50th Seattle International Film Festival.