Chris Bolan & Melissa Haizlip’s “Satisfied” is mainly about a part of Renée Elise Goldsberry’s life. However, at the beginning of this documentary, I was having a hard time separating Renée from her role as Wickie in “Girls5eva.” In the comedy series, Wickie started working on a documentary about her life, where she tried to invent tragedy in her life since it wasn’t particularly tragic. She wanted to fit the film in the perfect biopic archetype with a similar rise-and-fall arc.
With that in mind, I couldn’t take Renée’s words seriously at the beginning of “Satisfied.” But that’s just my reaction as a viewer. Slowly and steadily, “Satisfied” began to reveal layers of Renée’s life, which made me reconsider my stance. The documentary follows her life trying to juggle between her responsibilities as a working actor and a mother of two children. The film mostly follows Renée’s time during the production of the monumental Broadway musical – ‘Hamilton.’ Before digging into those prosperous years, the film offers a background of her life.
Since her childhood, Renée has been interested in acting on the stage. Even as a kid, she performed in plays in a way as if the roles were made for her. After playing the Tin Man from “The Wizard of Oz,” she felt a strong inclination toward acting. A couple of years later, her then-acting teacher gave her a leading role that motivated her to pursue it as a profession. In the film, we hear Renée’s mother speak fondly of her skills as a performer. You can sense her motivating presence in Renée’s life.
Besides Renée’s passion and ambition, “Satisfied” follows her family life. It offers a look into her loving relationship with her husband, Alexis. Renée praises him for being supportive of her despite often having to take the financial burden of their daily lives and yet being comfortable with being in the background during her acting successes. It offers brief glimpses through her years of work in films and TV shows that made her a fairly successful name in the industry.
Eventually, “Satisfied” follows her life when “Hamilton” was at the peak of its popularity. It gives us an inside look into this incredibly successful play which people were ready to wait in lines for hours and hours. The film sheds light on her apprehension about this huge role that involved a lot of fast rapping. It shows her experience during the play’s later success, which also earned her a Tony award.
While extensively covering the joyous time during its production, the film also shows the emotional ups and downs in Renée’s personal life. For years, Renée and Alexis struggled to conceive a baby. After multiple attempts, they had their first success. Later, they adopted a girl and brought her under their caring shelter. Then, during the time of “Hamilton,” they realized the possibility of another baby. While dealing with the emotional burden of its loss, she had to go on the stage as Hamilton’s Angelica and entice the crowd of keen audiences. It is heartbreaking to witness, even on the screen.
“Satisfied” is deeply shattering when it revolves around Renée’s motherhood and her struggles with pregnancy. It provides many details that must have been painfully difficult for the couple to process. The film paints the picture of Renée’s life with the necessary compassion. It portrays Renée with utmost respect and reverence for her craft and the work she put into her roles. Besides, it captures the innocence in her passion for performance art.
However, the film occasionally feels staged to a fault. Some of its conversations feel oddly performative, even if the sentiments seem honest. This style of presentation creates a wall that makes it hard to look at the film as an unadulterated look into Renée’s life. Besides, it spends more time on the exhaustiveness of “Hamilton” as a cultural phenomenon than digging deeper into Renée’s involvement in it. Although it offers a few titbits, it ends up feeling like a film more about the play than about her.
Nevertheless, “Satisfied” is an absolute revelation when it handles the aspects of Renée’s life as a mother and a professional actress. It uses footage shot by Renée on her phone to offer a sense of intimacy in her personal life. Despite the film’s sentimental lens, it is deeply moving when it talks about her resilience and her love for art. It is an absolute joy to hear her speak about the exhilarating feeling she gets by performing on the stage.
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