Nothing Compares is a 2022 documentary feature film, directed by Kathryn Ferguson. It looks at the life and legacy of Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor, focusing on the years 1987–1993.
The film had its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival on 21 January 2022, after which it was acquired by Showtime Documentary Films. The film was theatrically released in the UK and Ireland by Paramount International on 7 October 2022.
Synopsis Nothing Compares is the story of Sinéad O'Connor's phenomenal rise to worldwide fame and how her iconoclastic personality resulted in her exile from the pop mainstream. Focusing on her prophetic words and deeds from 1987–1993, the film reflects on the legacy of this fearless trailblazer through a contemporary feminist lens.
Production The film is a UK and Ireland co-production, produced by Eleanor Emptage and Michael Mallie, and made with support from Field of Vision, Screen Ireland, BFI Doc Society Fund, Northern Ireland Screen and ie:entertainment.
Release and reception Nothing Compares had its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival on 21 January 2022 in the World Cinema Documentary Competition. It toured the festival circuit picking up multiple awards, including Best Documentary Feature at the 2022 Galway Film Fleadh. On 1 February 2022, Showtime Documentary Films announced that it has acquired worldwide rights to Nothing Compares. The film premiered on Showtime on 30 September 2022. It was released in theatres in the UK and Ireland on 7 October 2022.
Critical response Nothing Compares received positive reviews from film critics in the US, the UK and Ireland. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 99% approval rating based on reviews from 83 critics. The website's critical consensus reads: "A moving look at Sinéad O'Connor's remarkable life and career, Nothing Compares is enriching viewing whether or not you're a fan of her work."
The Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw gave it 4/5 stars, describing it as "a bracing guide to a brilliant individual who declined to conform." The Telegraph Chief Music Critic Neil McCormack gave it 5/5 stars, describing it as "the most potent film about the travails of a woman in the pop industry since Asif Kapadia's 2016 Oscar-winning Amy".
Accolades On 4 December 2022, Nothing Compares received two British Independent Film Awards: Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary for Kathryn Ferguson, and Best Documentary. In May 2023, it won the George Morrison Feature Documentary Award at the 19th Irish Film & Television Awards. +AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultReferenceSundance Film Festival30 January 2022World Cinema Documentary CompetitionNothing ComparesDock of the Bay7 May 2022Feature Film Audience PrizeKathryn Ferguson, Eleanor Emptage, Michael MallieMillennium Docs Against Gravity19 May 2022The Chopin's Nose AwardKathryn FergusonDoc Edge Film Festival22 June 2022Thank You for the MusicKathryn Ferguson, Eleanor Emptage, Michael MallieGalway Film Fleadh10 July 2022Best Irish DocumentaryDocs Ireland11 July 2022Audience Award - Best DocumentaryAegean Film Festival16 July 2022Jecheon International Music and Film Festival16 August 2022International CompetitionEdinburgh International Film Festival24 August 2022The Powell & Pressburger Award for Best Feature FilmCritics' Choice Documentary Awards13 November 2022Best Archival DocumentaryNothing ComparesBest Music DocumentaryBritish Independent Film Awards4 December 2022Best Debut Director – Feature DocumentaryKathryn FergusonBritish Independent Film Award for Best DocumentaryKathryn Ferguson, Eleanor Emptage, Michael MallieBest EditingMick MahonInternational Documentary Association Awards10 December 2022Best Music DocumentaryKathryn Ferguson, Eleanor Emptage, Michael MallieCinema Eye Honors13 January 2023Outstanding DebutKathryn FergusonAudience Choice PrizeThe Unforgettables (Non-Competitive Honor)Sinéad O'ConnorOutstanding Original ScoreLinda Buckley, Irene BuckleyGirls on Film Awards23 February 2023Best Documentary Kathryn Ferguson, Eleanor Emptage, Michael MallieBritish Film Editors Cut Above Awards24 February 2023Best Edited British Documentary or Non-Fiction Programme Mick MahonProducers Guild of America Awards25 February 2023Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion PicturesEleanor Emptage, Michael MallieIrish Film & Television Awards7 May 2023Best Feature Documentary Kathryn Ferguson, Eleanor Emptage, Michael MallieBest Original Music Linda Buckley, Irene BuckleyBest EditingMick Mahon44th News and Documentary Emmy Awards29 September 2023Outstanding Direction: DocumentaryKathryn FergusonOutstanding Writing: Documentary Kathryn Ferguson, Eleanor Emptage, Michael Mallie
References
External links
Official trailer