Biebermania!

This quickie biography from writer-director Thomas Gibson traces the rise of international pop star Justin Bieber, the Canadian teenager who, as rapper Trey Songz puts it, went “from YouTube sensation to global phenomenon.” Bieber's story begins in Stratford, Ontario, in 1994 with a single mother, Pattie Mallette, who encouraged his talent (she separated from his father, Jeremy. when Justin was a toddler). In addition to singing and dancing, her son learned to play piano, guitar, and drums, but the unauthorized Biebermania! doesn't feature any of his music, nor any family photographs or home movie footage. Viewers will see a glimpse of Bieber in a pivotal talent show in which he placed second—an experience that led to his uploading videos to the Internet and tweeting on Twitter, where the crazed reaction from young girls attracted interest from insiders like R&B vocalist Usher and talent manager Scooter Braun, who facilitated Bieber's record deal with Island Def Jam. “In a way,” says journalist Peter Larsen, “he's sort of a creation of social media.” Disc jockeys, music directors, television hosts, and recording artists like Snoop Dogg offer their thoughts on Bieber's voice, hair, image, and appeal, and talk about his collaborations with Kanye West and label mate Chris “Ludacris” Bridges. Sugary narration aside, Biebermania! offers a decent introduction to the platinum-selling singer, but it's no substitute for his official theatrical release, Never Say Never (VL-5/11). Still, this should be considered a strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (K. Fennessy)