Director: Ryan White.
Running Time: 86 minutes.
Certificate: PG.
Synopsis: A documentary in which Freda Kelly looks back at her career as lifelong secretary for The Beatles.
Recent documentaries tend to be laced with cynicism, full of devious intentions or just plain serious. GOOD OL’ FREDA, the story of Freda Kelly The Beatles’ former secretary, bypasses all of these things and welcomes us into the past with a smile, a wink and a collection of wonderful songs.
Beginning with the story of Freda’s youth in Liverpool, GOOD OL’ FREDA quickly moves to 1962 when Brian Epstein hired the then seventeen year-old. From here we are taken through the lifespan of the Fab Four and out the other side. Kelly is a warm and genuine person who is clearly enjoying telling her story finally, and this warmth also infects the contributors who speak with great fondness about the titular secretary. The one thing missing from GOOD OL’ FREDA is a bit of controversy to make you sit up, but this isn’t altogether a surprise given the overall tone of the film.
Director and co-writer Ryan White is a gentle guide with no flashy editing as he lets smiley Freda be our chaperone. There are some sour notes with Paul McCartney completely missing and no mention of George Martin, a man Kelly surely encountered numerous times. That said, those who do contribute speak openly thanks to their lack of star, something McCartney in particular would have struggled with.
GOOD OL’ FREDA is a soft, cuddly look at a soft, cuddly lady who happened to be secretary for arguably the greatest band of all time. With some lovely anecdotes and a happy story, Ryan White’s sophomore effort will make you think ‘Ain’t She Sweet’, that GOOD OL’ FREDA.
Check out the rest of our LFF coverage here.
