pmw
08-20-2002, 11:48 AM
Well, I'll start off by saying that I enjoyed one half of this film. That is the half that depicts major labels and their occassional inability to recognize and properly handle excellent bands. Wilco is a superstar act, and their label just couldnt put their finger on it. This is something that happens with some regularity, but rarely are we there to capture it on film. So thumbs up on that account.
As far as potraying the band dynamic, the filmmaker set out to deify Jeff Tweedy. He is a very good artist, an excellent songwriter. But there are 3 other members who are also excellent. Jay's treatment in the film was wrong. As I learned from a friend later on, he was being paid additional money to mix their album (separate from his role as the guitarist), and thus his insistence on clarifying himself to Tweedy. The filmmaker, Sam Jones, does not offer this background information and leaves Jay out to dry.
Overall worth seeing. I look forward to a sequel where the other 3 members are introduced. Incidentally, the drummer in the movie had only been in the band for about a day when filming started. Why this is left out (Ken Coomer is the drummer who brought Wilco through their first 3 albums) is very strange....
As far as potraying the band dynamic, the filmmaker set out to deify Jeff Tweedy. He is a very good artist, an excellent songwriter. But there are 3 other members who are also excellent. Jay's treatment in the film was wrong. As I learned from a friend later on, he was being paid additional money to mix their album (separate from his role as the guitarist), and thus his insistence on clarifying himself to Tweedy. The filmmaker, Sam Jones, does not offer this background information and leaves Jay out to dry.
Overall worth seeing. I look forward to a sequel where the other 3 members are introduced. Incidentally, the drummer in the movie had only been in the band for about a day when filming started. Why this is left out (Ken Coomer is the drummer who brought Wilco through their first 3 albums) is very strange....