The singer Ozzy Osbourne, who died in July at 76 after battling a variety of ailments, including a variant of Parkinson’s disease and spinal damage, didn’t have the glass-shattering range that came to distinguish a lot of vocalists in the genre he all but invented, heavy metal. His thick, slightly nasal apparatus was best suited to terrified moans, as on the first track of his band Black Sabbath’s self-titled album, when, facing Satan himself, he protests, “Oh no, no, please God help me.”
Music helped Osbourne and his bandmates, including the visionary guitarist Tony Iommi, escape the stifling confines of Birmingham, England, in the 1970s. After a career marked by substantial commercial success and staggering substance abuse, Osbourne was kicked out of his own band. Several career turns followed, including one in reality TV.
The Osbourne we see in the often heartbreaking documentary “Ozzy: No Escape From Now,” directed by Tania Alexander, is a genuine pop culture icon. But he’s also a man who is falling apart as he tries to muster the energy to get out of bed. How’s he going to go on a final tour? Or pull off a Sabbath reunion in Birmingham, back where it all started?
Watching him try, with the encouragement of his ever-stalwart wife, Sharon, is sometimes inspiring. But it’s mostly painful, as his health issues keep getting in the way. The movie chronicles eventual triumphs that are invariably tinged with sadness. Through it all, Osbourne’s devotion to his family, his fans, his bandmates and, yes, his art is palpable.
Ozzy: No Escape From Now
Not rated. Running time: 2 hours 3 minutes. Watch on Paramount+.
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