Today was the last day of SXSW Interactive, which set a new attendance record of almost 20,000. And to celebrate the transition from the interactive portion of the festival to the music portion, SXSW hosted the world premiere of this groundbreaking documentary on the full history of the Foo Fighters.
Before the screening, the Foo Fighters showed up in their white limo… yes, “>that“> White Limo. While introducing the film, in his typical self-effacing fashion, Dave Grohl says he’s blown away that people would be lined up around the block to get into see a movie about his band.
This is a monster of a documentary, trying to tell the story of a band whose genesis came out of tragedy and whose early years were mired in lineup changes and expectations relating to Nirvana, coming to maturity in one of the biggest rock bands in the world. What shines through here is the humanity of their story. The Foo Fighters are not Led Zeppelin, shrouded in mystique and mystery. These are very real people with real emotions and conflicts, and the storytelling ability of filmmaker, Academy-award-winner James Moll. In a Q&A after the screening, Moll said that after doing such serious fare revolving around the Holocaust, running through the Sahara Desert, etc, he just really wanted to make a “rock doc.” Executive Producer Nigel Sinclair had been approached by Dave Grohl about filming the making of the new album, and he called Moll and asked if he knew who the Foo Fighters were. “Know who the Foo Fighters are? They’re my favorite band!”
The love shows through the filmmaking process, as the interviews are probing and personal but never feel exploitative. Everything is treated with the sincerity and reverence of someone who truly understands their subject, but is willing to show everything of note in the narrative, warts and all. It’s tone is neither fawning nor skeptical, but genuinely reflects how the band seems to conceive of themselves: How the hell did we get here? And that’s the narrative Moll tells perfectly.
The film starts with baby pictures and home movies of Dave Grohl and other band members, set to the music of Queen, then The Ramones, Fugazi, etc as the opening credits role, to reflect Grohl’s deepening depth as a musician and harder edge, then begins in earnest with the recording of Nirvana’s Nevermind. It spends a solid first chapter on the history and legacy of Nirvana and introducing Pat Smear in the band, then Grohl recording his demo tape on his own that eventually became the first Foo Fighters album as a way to deal with the funk he was in following Kurt Cobain’s suicide. And they continue the story of the band through albums, lineup changes, successes and failures, near breakups, overdoses, up to the recording of their newest album, Wasting Light, due out April 16.
Of note here is that the only people interviewed in the documentary are the members of Foo Fighters, and super-producer Butch Vig, who produced not only Wasting Light (recorded in Grohl’s garage only on analog tape) but also Nirvana’s Nevermind. But they get all of the members- including those who have come in and out of the band in very public, sometimes acrimonious, lineup changes. There are some extremely tense and touching moments regarding the conflict between Grohl and former drummer William Goldsmith that led to his ouster. Grohl is honest about his shortcomings and maniacal genius qualities- but ultimately, it’s what makes Foo Fighters The Foo Fighters. Grohl is also open about what happened with Kurt Cobain, his overdose in Rome, his suicide, and the effect this had on him personally, emotionally, and musically. How he got tired of answering the same questions over and over during the first Foo tour about whether this song or that was about Cobain. Again, this is treated with exactly the right lens.
This documentary has a big heart. Not just in its honesty and more serious moments, but in how incredibly funny it is. There were more real laughs in this than most of the “comedies” Hollywood has been foisting on us recently, and the crowd in the Paramount just ate it up. I won’t spoil it for you, but one of the best moments of the film comes from Dave Grohl’s daughter interrupting a recording session- a universal moment any parent who tries to accomplish work at home while your kids want your attention can appreciate. It is one of the most moving and life-affirming moments I’ve had in a film since…. The King’s Speech? It’s seriously that good.
Also, I was never more grateful to be in a theater with a truly amazing sound system. When the Foo Fighters play Wembley Stadium and Grohl screams, “Is someone getting the best, the best, the best of you?!?!” and we see and hear “The Pretender”– chills, seriously, chills running up my spine. And I started to tear up from sheer joy and amazement at the talent and the raw emotion packed into these songs.
Your first opportunity to see Back and Forth (unless you can make it to the Friday, 3pm screening here at SXSW) will be April 5th, when it will be shown along with a live-streamed concert at 80 theaters nationwide. For you readers in the SLC area, you’re going to have to go to Provo to the Carmike 12 in the Riverwoods shopping center (oh noez! Not to Utah County!) but I promise it’s well worth even a trip to The UC.
Go to http://foofighters.cinedigm.com/ for more information on theaters and tickets
The rest of us can check it out on VH1 on April 8th if you can’t make it to a theater. But remember what I said above about being in a theater with an amazing sound system. Unless you’ve got a pretty sweet system yourself, this is not something a Foo fan would want to miss.
This is not only an excellent documentary and one of the best of that genre I have seen in a while, but simply one of the best films I’ve seen in a while. Granted, I am a huge Foo Fighters fan, so I am biased, but the way the music is so seamlessly blended in between familiar studio tracks and live performances and then used in service of the overall narrative is a tribute to Moll’s skills- he’s worthy not only of the Oscar he has previously won but also of a nomination for this work. This is a treat for not only Foo Fighters fans, but fans of music, fans of documentaries, and fans of just great storytelling and character development.
4 stars.
Seriously. I’ve never given a movie 4 stars before. The only 4 star movies I saw last year were Toy Story and True Grit. But this is that worthy. It is the best thing I’ve done at SXSW and probably will not be topped. (I’m daring you, universe!!!)
The only thing I’d change? The stupid, @#@$%#$ girls sitting next to me on their goddamn phones texting and emailing all movie long. You know, we all stood in a long line to get in here, and so I don’t know what’s so important you have to be on your phone talking with someone rather than enjoying this movie. You used your phone like a flashlight to try and find your seats at the beginning of the screening, so you know how much light your screen is giving off. Seriously. Someone better have been in the hospital for you to be messaging them so much. People like you need your phones taken away, ground into tiny bits, and your fingers gnawed off by rodents so you figure out how not to be a douche at a premier screening. </rant>
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-tS8mlfEKM