Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson & The Band

I love the history and the old footage of one of my favorite groups, both the concert films and the personal shots, but this documentary is horribly biased toward Robbie Robertson, while three people who might tell a different tale are dead. In particular, Robbie says that after The Last Waltz, "everybody just forgot to come back." This ignores the fact that he declared the group done, without asking the other four members, and ignores the fact that they went on to record multiple albums without him. Again, I'm glad this film exists, but I worry that anyone would consider it to be the complete story.

I was in tears by the end of the show. I started out jaded. Thinking this is some Robbie puff piece...and it is. But so much more. It's a love letter to his friends.

This writer grew up with this music, so I must be biased. When I was living a few miles from the Big Pink house, neither I or any of my friends had any idea who they were and what was going on. That is the reason that this film seems like such a revelation. It opens the door to the real feel of where the magical music came from, and why it seems so strong today. This is film is a joy from first to last frame, and has a simply amazing rhythm and poetry. It is a story of love, destruction, creation and the ecstasy around one of the truly great pop bands. It is true that the POV is from Robbie, but since he is one of only two survivors, that issue is irrelevant. What we see is what they saw. And the feeling runs through us with the same joy and excitement they felt playing right to the last notes of the last show. What a beautiful trip it was.

Robbie Robertson does a wonderful job taking us down the initial primrose path of the music of The Band, bluntly, honestly, with with compassion, up to the time when hard drugs changed two of the five.

I can vividly remember getting the 'brown' album, which I still have, and being blown away by what I thought were former Confederate soldiers (which they resembled on the cover, old Civil War photos come to life). The music, vocals, and lyrics were indelibly fixed in my mind and I played the album for days even up to today. I played the tape out in my car (perfect driving music). 'Once Were Brothers' is music history iwell thought out and told by Robertson with archival footage of the other members and guest historians (Ronnie Hawkins, their road manager, Clapton, Van Morrison, etc.). Lots of stuff here that I didn't know. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute, and the doc prompted me to get out my Band LPs and CDS for a nice listen.

If you are a fan or even new to The Band you shouldn't be disappointed in this film. Just take a trip back and enjoy the scenery.

"Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson And The Band" invites you to sit back and relax, while Robbie Robertson and other music royalty dive into the mystical journey of a great rock band. . In this documentary, singer/songwriter Robbie Robertson tells the candid story about the creation of one of the most enduring bands in the history of popular music, The Band. . There's something about The Band that always draws me in. Maybe it's the music, maybe it's their short lived musical journey, maybe it's how mysterious they seemed, but one thing is for sure is that not all bands have withstood what these guys have been through. Seeing Robertson tell personal stories about himself and the band is ultimately gratifying. I still think that Scorsese's "The Last Waltz" is the ultimate music doc and concert but this doc is a solid full framed story about these incredible musicians. The final moments of this film are nothing short of heart-wrenching and beautiful. Fans of music and The Band will enjoy this ride. . Follow @snobmedia for more reviews!