I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (2002) User Reviews

For Wilco fans... NOT doc fans...

[ashVID · 6/10 · 26 April 2005]

I am fairly confused reading some of the reviews... this was NOT a fly on the wall, eye opening documentary at all. It was something between an EPK and a longform video. Have those of you making such comments seen any real docs? This film looks like what it is... a great photographer who does not know how to tell a story in a cut, just from his still images.

You learn very little about Wilco and if you are not into the music, it is not watchable. There is 33 minutes before any bit of drama or story begins to unfold. All the hyped record label struggle is REFLECTIVE and only one single phone call unfolds before your eye. I found the film great to look at but hard to watch. It looks like something that was controlled, curbed and guided, not a REAL documentary. I happen to love YHF and the most enjoyable part of this film was hearing those songs but it was a complete distraction to the story.

Some Kind of Monster is a FAR FAR superior film and I cant stomach the music of Metallica. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart is flat, uninspiring and in general does not serve the story it is said to represent...

ash =o)

being there

[tvspace · 6/10 · 12 August 2002]

This documentary comes as a nice surprise to anyone who has been following the Uncle Tupelo/Sun Volt/Wilco chapter of rock n' roll history being quietly written in the Midwest for the past 15 years. For anyone who is a fan, the film is a must-see. For general fans of rock n' roll it offers a handy introduction to one of the few interesting rock bands in this parched musical era. Judged solely as a documentary film it is a half-hearted effort that scores some points but ultimately doesn't carry its own weight.

First the good: the cinematography, a grainy black and white that is probably 16mm film, is often breathtaking...even magical. In some scenes we can't really tell if that is Chicago snow falling, or simply the film stock being blown out, but the dreamy, low-tech look perfectly complements the musical style and tradition of Jeff Tweedy's aching folk-pop music. The sound recording is also excellent; while not offering the huge sonic experience of, say, the re-released Dolby 5.1 version of the Last Waltz, the sound crew of I Am Trying to Break Your Heart did a wonderful job of capturing the raw, pulsing sounds of a band at work, both in the recording studio and on the stages of nightclubs. Finally the filmmakers do a real service to music fans by including generous amounts of footage of the band at work in the studio writing, rehearsing, recording and mixing songs. It's exciting to see an album taking shape before your eyes in this manner.

Despite these strengths the documentary as storytelling gets lost when it drifts away from the recording studio and into the politics of the music business. One thing you can usually count on with documentary filmmaking is that the good guys and the bad guys are allowed to fully reveal themselves in all their naked glory or shameless depravity before our very eyes, but this movie seems to have its moral compass all screwed up. Or, perhaps it would be more accurate to say: it doesn't have a moral compass but rather buys too easily into the idea that everyone associated with Wilco is a "good guy", and everyone else is villainous.

In fact the band's manager, Tony Margherita, who is marginally awarded the role of narrator of the story, comes off as the kind of shameless huckster who makes the music business such an embarrassing behind-the-scenes spectacle. Early in the film he crows the music biz mantra of "taking Wilco to the next level" with such a moronic, repetitive gusto that one wants to stuff a tambourine in his mouth. When Reprise Records rejects the new Wilco album (ironically because they *don't* think it will take the band to the next level) he changes gears and starts talking about artistic integrity. But when Reprise drops the band from its roster he leads the band into a lucrative contract with... Reprise's sister label, Nonesuch, presumably because they offered the most money.

This should be funny, revelatory stuff, but the filmmakers seem so enamored with the band that they are unable to identify the crassness of this whole story arc, and in fact end the film with the schmoozy manager chortling about how he got Warner Brothers (parent company of Reprise and Nonesuch) to buy the same album twice. Ironic, yes, but the decision to stay in the Warner Bros. family while adopting a tone of moral superiority to their enterprise is nothing but hypocrisy.

Worse, when Tweedy kicks Jay Bennett out of the band midway through filming, the movie essentially takes a brief interlude to mock the departed songwriter. While Mr. Bennett indeed turns in an appalling interview after the incident ("there are some real power issues within Wilco" he puffs like some politically correct academic), the film isn't content to let him make a fool of himself, but rather goes to each member of the band and invites them to insult their departed bandmate on screen. When manager Margherita smugly asserts that Bennett had worn out his welcome with Wilco your skin crawls: it's like Fredo has been sent out on the boat at the end of The Godfather, Part 2 to meet his untimely fate.

The filmmakers all in all seem a wholly unreliable judge of character. Rolling Stone editor David Fricke is treated as an oracle of wisdom, but comes off as the kind of phony that rock n' roll used to be about mocking, not worshipping. I watch this parade of inauthentic politicians rolling across the screen and remember the iconoclastic fire of Bob Dylan in "Don't Look Back", and it's hard to feel anything except depressed by the state of American music in 2002.

All in all this is a movie to see if you love rock music, both because Wilco *matters*, and because it is a grim portrait of the rot at the heart of the American music industry: a rot that isn't just in the office towers of the record labels, as this movie would have you believe, but is much, much closer to home, where the damage it does is more subtle, but more irreparable. Maybe it isn't Warner Brothers fault. Maybe Wilco should heed the words: Doctor, heal thyself.

A documentary for musicians... and I'm not one

[KnightsofNi11 · 8/10 · 12 August 2011]

There's something so intrinsically beautiful about watching a group of musicians work so effortlessly in their own environment. Their ambition and their passion comes through in the music, but only a film like this can capture all the details of this phenomena. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart is that film that captures the talent, the perseverance, and the passion of the band Wilco. It tells the story of their recording of their album "Yankee, Hotel, Foxtrot" and how they were given complete freedom to make the record, only to have that freedom stripped from them when it came time to actually release the album. This is a documentary made out of the love and respect for not just Wilco, but music in general.

The film is structured as one would expect from a film like this. We cut between studio footage and concert footage with some breaks here and there that highlight a very specific mood and atmosphere of the film. There is never a dull moment in this film as there is always something interesting going on either verbally or artistically. The studio footage is fascinating as we get to see the nitty gritty process of making a record come alive. We see the most trivial things receive long, sophisticated conversations. This documentary does a wondrous job of capturing what music means to these guys, and how strong their passion is for it. A non-musician type like me might not understand everything they are talking about during debates over the music, but it is still very evident that this band takes their job seriously and they respect and adore music to no end.

Then of course there's the concert footage which also captures a hint of magic and motivation in this band. They play in small venues where the music seems to become more personal as they rock out on stage. This footage perfectly highlights the results of their passion and tireless determination to make their album great. It is evident that these guys love what they do and will surely never stop doing it. They love making art as much as this film loves capturing art. This is a fascinating film that really does show what making art is all about, enveloping a look and feel that matches the somber quality of the band. Wilco's music and the film's atmosphere are incredibly in sync, showing further dedication on both fronts.

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart is also an interesting profile on the band's front man Jeff Tweedy. He is an incredibly interesting character whose love for music knows no boundaries. He does what he wants to do and will stop at nothing to make the record he wants to make. There is an air of pretentiousness to him, but I suppose it goes along appropriately with the amount of talent this man possesses. He and Wilco make great music, but they also talk about music in a way that shows how much more it means to them than the average person. And to see this unfold within the film is truly remarkable.

When you get right down to it, this is just a fantastically well made documentary, and that's all there is to it. It's more intriguing and introspective than entertaining, and it truly is a musicians film. The non-musicians are somewhat alienated at times, but one can at least respect the obvious passion and talent these fine gentlemen display. For a middle of the road Wilco fan who isn't a musician himself, this makes a very fascinating and very enticing one time watch. For musicians and massive Wilco fans this is surely considered to be a masterpiece.

Fly on the Wall

[ejwells · 3 September 2003]

Fascinating documentary focuses on Wilco recording "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot," the album that caused them to be released from their record contract, only to be picked up by a subsidiary of the same label that fired them. The album (which they were already paid for by former label Reprise) becomes their biggest seller ever. Gives you a "fly on the wall" look into the conflicts between Wilco top guns Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett, which resulted in Bennett leaving the band. Great studio footage, cool live band stuff, and some less compelling live Tweedy solo performances. That fact that this story unfolded LITERALLY in front of first time director Sam Jones' eyes is pretty amazing. Talk about being in the right place at the right time (for the sake of the film, that is). Maybe the band will be better off without Bennett? Who knows. I'd think this film would easily hold the interest of those not familiar with the band, but will be very special for those familiar with the unique, uncomprimising approach of these alt. country pioneers. 4 stars.

My all-time favorite documentary

[landoinchina · 10/10 · 10 August 2008]

Firstly I confess I am a huge Wilco fan and might be a little biased based on that! I've seen a few documentaries that follow around a band and try to capture something worthy of a feature-length documentary(radiohead's documentary 'meeting people is easy' for one example) and I'm always disappointed at how little band access they seem to have. This time, I didn't have that feeling at all. I think that Jeff Tweedy and the rest of wilco were really open and let us into their world. The story is told in such a way that you don't even realize that there is a story for the first thirty minutes or so. I like that. I don't think the story of wilco's best album could have been told any other way. If you hate the record industry, if you love great music, if you like a documentary filmmaker who knows how to keep his subject and not himself as the focus of his film (Michael Moore take note!) Then this is the film for you. It feature some amazing wilco concert footage that will make you fall in love with the band if you aren't already!

A beautifully filmed movie

[airfigaro · 9/10 · 28 August 2002]

This picture is a must see for any Wilco fan, and I highly recommend seeing it on the big screen if possible. Besides the great concert and 'in process' recording footage, it has great art direction and cinematography. If you're a fan, you already know the stroy; Band makes record, band gets rejected by label, bands fires member, band tours, band gets label, critics love band. Interesting behind the scenes stuff that doesn't make you want to ralph like watching that stupid VH-1 show.

A fascinating if badly made documentary

[hellomynameishenry · 7/10 · 11 February 2005]

firstly i'm a huge wilco fan and therefore was always going to like this, even if it was directed by michael bay and shot on a ninety eighties camcorder. It has fantastic footage that allows you to get into the 'wilco world' and generally made me very jealous.

however i don't believe sam jones has any clout as a film maker. The biggest flaw seems to be that it doesn't get what yankee hotel foxtrot really is as an album. Even in the commentary Jeff Tweedy shows his surprise at jones' inclusion of live versions of songs from earlier albums like 'being there'.

The big problem is that the album clearly changed a great deal after mr bennett left the band and jim o rourke turned a collection of good and slightly less than good rock songs into a ground-breaking piece of rock and roll. O rourke made the album great, hearing the versions that were painstakingly put together before Jim came on board proves this and yet Jones failed to make him a central part of the doc, relagated him to one joint interview with Jeff Tweedy when he says nothing.

Unfortunately this film only tells half the story and therefore feels half-finished and padded out with lots of material that could have been put on the, already very healthy, special features discs. Having said all this it is still worth watching but not worth worshipping, a bit like yankee hotel foxtrot (unless you're listening to it on vinyl of course!).

A close-up view of a group of highly talented and creative people in the crucible.

[mcnally · 10/10 · 10 September 2003]

Director Sam Jones follows the band Wilco as they record their fourth album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Along the way, original member Jay Bennett is fired, and the band are dropped by Reprise Records. With their completed album in hand, they are forced to shop it around to other labels for almost another year. This is a close-up view of a group of highly talented and creative people in the crucible, being ground down by the business side of the music industry, even as they are making the most ambitious music of their lives.

Interesting rockumentary

[timnil · 7/10 · 31 May 2003]

This is a documentary about the roots-rock band Wilco and the trials and tribulations they suffered in the production of their 2002 CD `Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.' Initially given a good deal of support by their record label (Reprise) Wilco strayed from their previous country folk-rock sound to embrace more experimental studio techniques and used synthesizers and strings to flesh out their sound. Their suits at Reprise balked at this sea-change and eventually refused to release the record and booted the band from the label. While all of this is going on the band is suffering internal strife as one of the members is let go with acrimony.

The story of Wilco's last album has become legendary in the music world and this documentary, shot in grainy black and white tells the story and portrays the band and its leader Jeff Tweedy in a sympathetic light. Tweedy is shown as the disheveled genius musician pushing the art forward while the greedy evil corporate executives attempt to thwart him. It's nice to see the band triumph in the end, and the film does throw some light on the pressure that is undergone to make a record for a major label as well as showing some of the seedier sides of the music business as flaks on both sides beat their chest and trumpet their side of the story. (Rating: 7 out of 10)

This Was A Pleasant Surprise!

[mattschrock · 8/10 · 3 January 2004]

I'm a big fan of Wilco, just west of Toronto and had not heard about this movie until Dec.23. Needless to say I got my brother to buy it for me for xmas and ripped it open and thoroughly enjoyed this dvd. Maybe because it is Wilco, but Sam Jones got lucky with a nice story between a bunch of corporate idiots and a group of talented musicians and came out with a great doc.

Reasonably Compelling

[bix171 · 7/10 · 23 June 2003]

Documentarian Sam Jones is in the right place at the right time as he captures the Chicago-based alternative country band Wilco as they struggle both internally and with their record label. The result is a reasonably compelling look at how a band grows through the process of creating and negotiating, if not necessarily in the ways anyone associated with the process had envisioned. Those only casually familiar with Wilco might be surprised to find that their ostensible leader, singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy, is far more collaborative than the recorded music suggests and that the band is comfortable sharing input in a loose, respectful manner; but multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett seems to want to diffuse the camaraderie by getting hung-up on semantics, involving Tweedy in long, drawn-out debates that point directly to Bennett's insecurities and apparent desire to over-communicate. (After Bennett leaves the band, the group seems prepared--even eager--to move on and it's apparent that Bennett had trouble connecting with the other band members as well.) The enmity between Wilco and their label, Reprise, is more cut-and-dried, with a story you've heard a million times before: profit-minded record label declines to release album by forward-thinking, critically acclaimed musical group; there isn't much new here and the drama plays itself out rather quickly. Where the film truly shines is in capturing the essence of Wilco's live performances. Slow, difficult and somewhat antiseptic on record, in concert they display a sparkle and drive that brings a vibrancy to Tweedy's esoteric, often half-formed musings.

a whole lot of wilco

[revotstover · 8/10 · 7 August 2002]

i like wilco. i like jeff tweedy. if you're in the same boat, what are you waiting for? go see this movie. "i am trying to break your heart" features a ton of wilco music--both in studio and in concert--along with a long look into the band's workings. that's the plus on the film--it's a film about wilco. you get to see them in almost every scene, working as a band. there are no fantasy sequences (think "song remains the same") and things come off looking as if they really happened that way. my only complaint with the film is that they didn't offer a look outside of wilco. if warner brothers is the big bad record label portrayed here, then i want to see what their major acts are. who do they bank on to make money for the wb label? also, i wanted the film to look at radio, and why a band like wilco is not played in, say, southern california, where i live.

all in all, it's a good film. it's a microcosmic look into the band, which is enough to keep any fan happy. the makers, though, could have made a much bigger statement about the record industry and the business of music, but i guess that wasn't their focus. i am happy to have spent 9 bucks and driven 45 minutes each way to see the film. go, watch, and listen while it, and wilco, are still around.

n/a

[Patrick_Waggett · 6/10 · 9 January 2007]

The decision to document the journey of a little known popular American band in 2000 on their hopeful way to superstardom seemingly paid off. Sam Jones, as a first time Director seems to observe well what is going on in the band 'Wilco's development of their new album in which they want released by Time-Warner, but that is all he does, observe. The films seems too convoluted with footage of the band playing music whether in a recording studio, live or watching front man Jeff Tweedy singing solo that becomes painstakingly boring and irrelevant to the story. The observation looks nice in black and white film, and there seems to be a lot of money gone into the visual of the film with apparent B-crews and good camera with extensive amounts of stock allowing them to just keep shooting what is going on around them. Yet it has the feel of a very low budget film and due to it's black and white grain effect and appearance of the band, it was hard to place the time it was set, seemingly early nineties (the music and attitude suiting progressive bands like Nirvana in the early nineties) yet it was filmed in 200/01. Watching and understanding the band as a group of extremely talented musicians who have been given money to make the album on their own with a view to release their record and hit the big time, the film starts off with high spirits from all involved. But predictably, problems began to occur, namely with Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett who had major creative differences. One of the most pleasing piece of documentary film making observed the said two have a disagreement with a mix of a record and the air of exhaustion and frustration begins to show at the seams as the camera keeps rolling from afar and their conversation is barely audible over the playing music which is extremely interesting to watch and try to understand. As more music plays, the film appears to go into music video mode for the band around a whole song, so much in fact that you start to become distracted when the music is playing that you don't listen to what is being said in the narration. You would miss the apparent influence 9/11 had on Tweedy and his songs because of this, and it was something the Director wanted to make clear in portraying Tweedy. But saying this, Sam Jones never tries to get into the personal lives of any of the band members, it is all professional (apart from one scene with Tweedy and his family going to eat). When news hits that the bands album has been refused a release as it stands, there is no fuss made which is strange to view. It plays out like an every day event but it is almost unbelievable that they didn't get a release which could be because the first half of the film was so pro- Wilco and possible propaganda for the band making you believe that they were the next best thing. The introduction of a new player to take over Jay Bennett's departure (O'Rourke) again seems to be misdirected and not shown in its utmost importance to the bands eventual success and ironic redemption by being signed by a Time-Warner owned record company. Had Sam Jones concentrated more on the goings on with each band member and the importance of their actions, rather than flooding the film full off music and gig footage, the documentary could have followed a nice narrative that wasn't distracting with relevance into each of the band members actions and how they solved their problems to realise their ambitions.

Self-Important, promotional, shallow dreck

[averroes111 · 2/10 · 8 August 2002]

I went into this film with expectations, from the hype, that it would be insightful and uplifting. Certainly something more than a cheap promotional for the band "Wilco."

Instead we get a lot of moping and whining about "the process," a dishonorable and no doubt one-sided portrayal of one band members who was kicked out by the prima donna lead singer/songwriter, a gut-wrenching confession by the fallen member's friend -- for like 18 years -- saying the "friendship had run its course," and this whiny, uncompelling story about how one record label "hurt their feelings" by dumping them, only so that the band could immediately get 50 offers from other labels (oh, the tension...not!) They tried their best to make it look like it was a strain, but I suspect it was all smoke and mirrors to generate a tragedy that didn't exist. This doesn't even take into account the long stretches where we get many of their newest songs shoved at us in full without any storyline, insight or even a decent job at cinematography. The strained attempts at emotional sincerity or reasonable perspective on life made me sick to watch.

From the film, this band sounds like a bunch of vile little babies who poke around to find a voice they don't have and think they're some kind of guardians for the art of music, which they most definitely are not. And I thought the music sucked, and I couldn't even understand the lyrics due to the mumbling style of the lead singer.

I give it a 2/10.

Fascinating portrait of musical creativity

[buck_od · 12 January 2003]

Walking into this movie I had no working knowledge of Wilco other than the fact that their latest album, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", had received a fair degree of press. Completely untainted by prior convictions I found this movie to be the most fascinating document of artistic creativity and tension ever committed to film. Not only is the music great, but the story surrounding the making of the album is captivating.

A great documentary, not just for fans

[franklinlongley · 10/10 · 14 July 2005]

This is one of my favorite movies. Excellent camera work, excellent sound (which, if you're going to do a movie about a band, please get the sound right--and they do).

I do wish it would have followed up a little more on Jay Bennett, however. While he's not the most likable guy in the world, I feel like he got a bit short-shrifted in the end. Which is a shame, because he obviously at one time meant a lot to the band on a personal level.

The scenes of Wilco in the studio are fantastic, however. The shows suffer a little bit from limited camera angles, but the songs totally rock.

Great movie, even better on DVD (lots and lots of extras).

Keep in mind that I'm a HUGE fan of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot...

[gonzomovies · 10/10 · 9 December 2002]

Keep in mind that I'm a HUGE fan of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot... I just loved this documentary! The music was, of course, incredible, and the depth of this story made it worthy of being put onto film. It's possible that it's biased against Jay Bennett, but that makes the film even more interesting. I hope this comes out on DVD faster than most documentaries tend to. A+. 10 out of 10. Thumbs Up. 5 out of 5 Stars.

Hard to believe this thing is almost 15 YEARS OLD!

[Twins65 · 6/10 · 10 June 2015]

This one is for Wilco fans only. And they seem to be a band who doesn't have ANY fans who are halfway in on them, so you should know whether or not you want to view this in advance.

The story of Wilco from the days after the release of "Summerteeth" leading up to the recording and release of their follow-up has been discussed to death, so I'm not going to write about that. I will write about how this movie which I just watched again for the first time in over 10 years is pretty well made. The black & white photography gives it more of a "behind-the-scenes" feel as well, which is all good by me.

I mostly enjoyed the recording studio and backstage scenes, as that's a slice of rock I'm really not privy to. Watch for some quick glimpses of Dave Pirner (who does NOT seem to age at all) and Gary Louris, along with WXRT's recently retired Frank E. Lee introducing the band.

P.S.-I once joked about 8 years ago that Philip Seymour Hoffman should play Jay Bennett when they make a "Wilco biopic". But now that they're both gone, I'll just give 'em both a R.I.P. shout-out here.

Primarily for Wilco fans

[pavlov32 · 9/10 · 4 April 2003]

I confess...I'm a hardcore Wilco fan. I'm sure that colors my view of the documentary, but I found it a very interesting and ultimately redeeming film. After a slow start, I found myself engrossed in the band's struggle to complete the album. It's a testament to Jones' skill that he is able to capture some truly uncomfortable moments between band members with such directness.

The film has it all...great music, insightful views into the band and music industry, and enough lightheartedness to keep the film balanced.

A must see for Wilco fans...For non-Wilco fans...well...I dunno. Maybe...maybe not.

9 out of 10.

Great music, erratic movie.

[tomnservo · 7/10 · 21 January 2003]

This is a movie about the making of a unique piece of music; an album which is already legendary for the wilderness of idiocy it traveled through on its way to release.

To keep this brief, the movie contains great out-takes from the album as well as an interesting picture of how a recording band acts. But also, the film lacks any real organization and it's as if the director assumed the viewer was already aware of the events around "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot," because he focused much more on the story of Jeff Tweedy making music.

But criticism aside, it's a very interesting movie. And I don't know what Alex- 105 meant by Jay "just being fired" because that was one of the most elaborated upon points in the movie. Remember, Alex? The ten minute scene where Jay won't drop the fact that Jeff wasn't specific about a drum loop and Jeff ends up vomiting because of all the stress. I'd say most people saw the firing coming.

A nice little documentary with heart

[chartier · 8/10 · 4 August 2002]

The most common search search string to find Short and Sweet Movie Reviews is "sweet movie." There's the key word match, of course, but apparently a number of people are just looking for an endearing little film to get them through the evening. "Heart" might be one of those, but it's not the romance these folks were probably looking for.

Still photographer Sam Jones made a little profile of Wilco, a highly respected Chicago band that still has yet to break big. As with so many lucky documentary filmmakers, he got more than he bargained for: the record company rejected their Yankee Hotel Foxtrot submission, leader Jeff Tweedy fired long-time member Jay Bennett, and the CD finally got released a year later in nicely ironic fashion. It's somewhat of an art vs. commerce story, but we're not beaten over the head with that chestnut, and there's something about a bunch of seemingly decent guys trying to make music their way that plays better than it reads. Although it won't make anyone forget The Last Waltz or Woodstock, it's also a refreshing alternative to seeing entourage-laden bad boys moaning that no one understands how tough it is out there. Best suited for Wilco and documentary fans, but also for the searchers of sweet little movies with a beat.

For Wilco fans only

[mbventuri · 5/10 · 10 March 2009]

One fight here and another one there. Creative/Ego arguments within the band. Some well shot concert appearances (that are tedious if you don't appreciate the music). And that's pretty much it. If you don't like Wilco there is not much to see here. The director does his job well but since the band's creative process to release an album is so shallow, it is hard to keep up with the film. There is not much character study with the exception of some clashes between Jeff, the vocalist, and Jay in the beginning of the film. This doc is only worth watching for its cinematography and ironic industry turns when the album is ready to be released.

gray

[MitchellXL5 · 15 June 2003]

I can't see anyone who isn't a Wilco fan finding this that interesting, though I would recommend it to anyone who is curious just for the music. There's a lot of great music in here, and the footage of the earlier stages of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot shows the how lovely all the songs are on that album, in the early stages and in their current form. And while I would agree that the film does hinge on hero worship, it doesn't make the portrayal of band dynamics less interesting to a fan. The fact is, it became obvious to me before the Heavy Metal Drummer scene that Jay Bennett is an enormously talented but really really grating, brow beating individual who is very hard to work with. I also think that after several decades, people should get over the fact that rock and roll isn't a communist collective, most bands have one or two figureheads, or centers to the wheel as Tweedy would have it, and that's just part of the bargain of being in a band. If Bennett ever thought that he was equal to Tweedy in Wilco, then it's an example of the fishbowl he put himself in. Here on the outside, it's always appeared to be Tweedy's band and it's always seemed to work that way. The after interviews with Bennett betray his ego and miscomprehension of his role. Maybe that's Tweedy's fault for never expressing it well. It seemed to me like everyone in the band was just sick of the guy. Equally, the manager's job isn't to question Tweedy's moral processes, his job is to serve the interests of Wilco, and he seems to do it well. He actually seems to put the band before the business in many ways and that's good for the band. So, sure, the movie is one-sided, and it could be a much better, much more insightful movie, but just because it is one sided, I don't think that means that the one side is always wrong about everything. And Jay Bennett makes some correct points, too. But that's just life. The film may be in stark black and white, but we all know that life is really gray, it's just Sam Jones hasn't realized it yet.

yee-hah.

[erikbirdman · 8 December 2003]

The splattered coverage of Wilco on film made for a entertaining viewing experience.Wilco are clearly a hard working band who make music that matters to them.Whether or not that had anything to do with Jay Bennet's departure is unclear.But,bands have problems.And when it's recorded to film it makes you watch a little closer.The commentary on the DVD was surprisingly funny as well.Let us just see if their next album is as good as their last,considering,all that has happened.

It kills "Behind The Music"

[gcfisher1010 · 25 August 2002]

I confess, I like the band. I like them a lot. With that in mind, it was hard for it to fail. What suprised me was the candidness? --of the members. In addition, it was "happening" as you saw it. Unlike the the VH1 gab-feasts from the likes of Poison members tearing up on camera about their struggle of being "accepted" by the music industry elite with 8 million plus albums sales under their belt.

Jeff Tweedy seems more than genuine when vomitting in a studio bathroom during the recording of "YFH".

So, don't stay at home this Sunday night watching Cher babble on about her "fight" to make it. Instead, drive to the small-out-of-the-way theater in your city that will probably end up showing this film, and enjoy it.