Pearl Jam Twenty

To be fair, before seeing this film, I had grown up with Pearl Jam's music through my dad. And though I "liked," or "didn't mind," their music, I had always seen them as a "dad band." That is, until my dad and I watched this film together upon its release, and I realized for myself truly how amazing Eddie, Stone, Mike, Jeff, and Matt are. I was only 13, but the events and interviews shown in this documentary changed my opinion on the band (and possibly on music in general) forever. Since then, I have seen it countless times, and it has not loss its brilliance. I can't quite put it into words, but the way that Crowe portrays the humanity of the band and its members really makes you look at them and their music differently. It covers everything from the band Mother Love Bone, which spawned Pearl Jam (unfortunately due to the death of its lead singer), to Pearl Jam's massive popularity in the 90's, and to their continuing legacy today. This documentary/film is a must-watch for any fan of Pearl Jam, and for anyone who is at all interested in the band or likes any of their songs. I guarantee you will be a bigger fan coming out of it than you were going in.

PJ 20 is rich, smartly edited, brings incredible footage and tells interesting stories, but it should not receive 10 out of 10 for one big reason: it promises 20 years of history but only delivers 10. Obviously the first 10 were the formative years. However a lot happened during the latter decade which is barely touched by the film.

The nuance in a lot of segments is to be loved. But it is sort of tricky that the five of them never appear together in the present time interviews. It tells a lot about how this great band works and should have been further explored.

Overall though PJ 20 is a great film, specially for the initiated.

Great documentary. Who better to direct it than Cameron Crowe, Oscar-winning film-maker and former Rolling Stone rock journalist. Crowe also has a connection with Pearl Jam through them appearing in his second movie, Singles.

Well structured. Doesn't sit still for a moment, yet covers all the detail you will need.

Superb, and sometimes quite rare, live footage. Crowe's research is extensive, as he has unearthed behind-the-scenes footage that even the band members probably didn't realise existed.

While some rock band documentaries fall flat because they feature celebrities going on about how great the band is, this dispenses with all that empty sucking up and concentrates on the band and its music.

A definite must-see for all fans of the band.

I can honestly say that I'm not an avid Pearl Jam fan. Yes, I owned "TEN" when I was a kid in 6th grade, and songs such as "Betterman" and "Immortality" always make it to my iPod, but I was never a traditional fan as I am of other bands such as The Cure.

I am, however, a huge fan of documentaries. Especially those that bring to surface the deep rooted emotions and thoughts as expressed by the subjects interviewed without the facade of flashy lights and glitter. Which is why I love documentaries by Errol Morris, the Maysles brothers, and Hubert Sauper. (that is also why I despise Moore, Herzog, and Spurlock.... too much glitter.) But Crowe manages to balance the depth of the interviews and story, if you will, with entertainment. At the end of the documentary I wanted more. I felt it was too short. Plus, it helped one appreciate the artistic value of Pearl Jam. So much so, that later that day I ended up logging into iTunes and purchasing Pearl Jam's greatest hits album. It's been playing on my iPod ever since.

This documentary made Pearl Jam what they have always been..... human. It was moving when Eddie Veddar expressed how he feels to this day when he sings "Black", and so on. It takes these renown Rock stars and places them in your living room as the type of people you can hang-out with and talk about history and music for a couple of hours..... it was a fantastic documentary, and I recommend it to anyone. Even if you are not a fan of Pearl Jam...

I'm a fan club member... and just a huge huge fan of the band. Been a fan for a very long time.

This film is as good as it gets for Pearl Jam fans! I saw this at TIFF. And I can honestly say I was never disappointed about any part of this film.

It captures the essence of the band perfectly with a very good and subtle amount of humour.

I'm going to see this again in theatres.. and oh MY I cannot wait until this is released on Blu-Ray / DVD.

A Must see for any Pearl Jam fan... and any fan of rock music for that matter.

Cheers