Pearl Jam Twenty

Twenty years after Pearl Jam's debut album Ten took the music world by storm, Cameron Crowe directs this documentary that chronicles and celebrates the band's history, impact and longevity. Crowe starts way back in 1988 when guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament were part of Mother Love Bone, a band that were popular due to singer Andy Wood's charismatic personality and song writing talent. After Wood's overdose and untimely death, Gossard and Ament founded Pearl Jam, along with the hugely talented singer Eddie Vedder and lead guitarist Mike McCready. The band went on to be one of the most successful bands of the 90's, and were seen as the natural rivals of fellow 'grunge' band Nirvana.

Crowe's documentary is hugely detailed, combining the standard talking heads with old interview footage, home video, and concert footage. Crowe apparently worked his way through 12,000 hours of footage of the band for the film. It was well worth it, as we get to see rare, grainy footage of Wood's exciting performances with Mother Love Bone, as well as the extremely moving performances by Vedder and Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell as part of Wood tribute group Temple of the Dog. The talking heads are no mere conduits that progress the film along, they are as informative and moving as the performances, as Vedder and Cornell, especially, open up and give tearful recollections.

It also covers the band's battle with ticket giant Ticketmaster, and how they objected to the fact that their fans were getting ripped off just to see a live band. It shows Pearl Jam as one of the few bands that remember their roots and are a dying breed. It was strange for me to watch this film, viewing the likes of Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Soundgarden as part of music history. I grew up with my old brother listening to the music, so I remember the whole 'grunge' craze quite well. I really only remember stripy shirts and long hair, but Pearl Jam Twenty reminded me of how good the music actually was. This is a must-see for fans of the band or the era, or for those enjoy an involving documentary. Crowe clearly knows his s**t (he was a journalist for Rolling Stone after all) and his passionate touch is all over it.

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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...

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.

When the grunge rock movement began in Seattle in the early '90s, filmmaker Cameron Crowe was living in the area and spent a good deal of time covering the music scene. At the forefront of the movement, which spread like wildfire across the globe, there were two bands: Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Yes, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and a number of other bands made significant marks but it was the aforementioned duo that made grunge the all-encompassing phenomenon that it was. If you've ever seen a Crowe film, you know he has a connection with Pearl Jam; I'm pretty sure at least one PJ song can be found in each of his films, including We Bought a Zoo, an addition that made no sense but was nonetheless awesome. Pearl Jam 20 serves as Crowe's ode to his favorite band as he traces their origins back to the pre-Eddie Vedder days and follows them up through their most recent album, interspersing concert footage with intimate interviews and some home videos to create a portrait of what could be America's last great rock band.

Much like Crowe himself, I am borderline obsessed with the grunge era. I think Nirvana saved music and you can't convince me otherwise. Pearl Jam is probably my favorite band going right now and so for me, PJ20 was an outstanding way to spend two hours. This isn't exactly the in-depth, investigative sort of documentary that many critics were hoping for. Rather, it's almost a love letter to the band and the music of the era from a fan to the fans. And personally, I'm okay with that. It was thrilling to catch a glimpse of the inner workings of the band and the history of how they came together. I've read some of this information before but it's different to actually watch the band talk about themselves and about their music. The grunge era is such a fascinating, exciting subject and Crowe's ability to weave together the various elements he uses to tell Pearl Jam's story is incredible.

The early days of the band are of particular interest as Crowe examines the way in which the members of the group came together and the work that led to their breakout album, Ten. Through the various interviews and video clips, you are able to get a real feel for the brotherhood not just among the members of Pearl Jam but also among all members of the Seattle music scene, regardless of band affiliation. In one clip, Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) stated that his musician friends from New York couldn't believe how supportive each band was of the next; New York bands viewed themselves as competitors while the grunge acts saw themselves as parts of a whole. In many ways, that feeling of togetherness is representative of a movement that was embraced by millions of (young) people from different walks of life who felt disenfranchised by society in general, let alone the crap that dominated the airwaves at the time.

One of the more intriguing parts of the film is the way in which it displays the changes in the both the personalities of the band members and the music they put together. As PJ20 progresses, you witness the evolution of both band and individual. Front man Eddie Vedder is almost out of control in early footage, both on and off stage. There's a sense of frustration, almost rage, that pours through in every song. Later concert footage and interviews show a much more controlled and mature man who has traded anger for political and social angst but one who still knows how to put on an incredible show and make fantastic music. It was engrossing for me to watch the changes take place over the course of 20 years and brought a new appreciation for some of the band's music that I haven't always been as impressed with.

If nothing else (and perhaps above all else), PJ20 offers up an enthralling anthology of Pearl Jam on stage. The concert footage is exquisitely cut and distributed throughout the runtime so that it never becomes a true concert film but also never allows the viewer to forget that these guys represent a powerhouse on the stage. The mix of early footage with more recent shots (including an IMPECCABLE performance of Release from a few years ago) provides a powerful sampling of the truly special body of work Pearl Jam has put together over the years. I would have loved for Crowe to delve deeper into the middle years of the band in which there was an apparent, if unspoken, conflict between the band members or give more insight into the origins of some of Pearl Jam's more popular songs. But as it stands, PJ20 provides a beautiful and heartfelt look at one of the world's most prolific rock bands.

Please check out my reviews: ieatfilms.com and thesoapboxoffice.blogspot.com

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