Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out

Stewart Copeland may have not been the best person to make a documentary on his own band, but then again he has the inside scoop. He has all of the 8mm footage that he shot during the time period, so it makes sense that he would come back around years later to look back on the time that he was with one of the biggest bands in the world. If someone else had made it there would have been distance, more of a documentary perspective (maybe, say, like Tom DiCillo's When You're Strange). I think Copeland's not-quite-there ability as a storyteller kind of hampers the quality of the film, there is still enough goodie footage that it makes for some captivating viewing.

If there is an overall problem it's just the looseness of it. There's little conflict revealed in what is going on with the Police when they're really hitting it huge until Copeland tells us in his narration. It's the kind of breezy over-dubbing that takes the band at face-value. He does paint a better picture than one might get reading a book about the band, and it's not in-depth. What it does do is provide a window at a time and place, some of the frenzy, the energy of the music. It almost would have been better to let the footage speak for itself. Most of Copeland's observations could be ascertained from what's on screen- the huge crowds and massive fans, the overwhelming quality of the far-out places they travel to to shoot music videos, their rise from small-time to big-time venues- but at least what's on screen is there, and there are some good behind the scenes moments (my favorite is when we see Copeland shooting the music video crew shooting the Police video for Do-Do-Do-De-Da-Da-Da).

This is very nearly scuppered by Copeland's present-day, gee-whizz narrative, which is surprisingly square and self-regarding. You can't imagine Mick or Keith, or Debbie, or Chrissie (Hynde) doing anything like it and makes the whole project totally uncool. It's like being round your mate's house and being followed by an overenthusiastic American dad, you keep hoping he'll disappear so you can raid the fridge for beers and watch Chuck's new Jenna Jameson flick.

Eventually Copeland shuts up and the footage takes on a real quirky charm, the blonds larking about like moptop Beatles in negative, though you sometimes wonder if bands were always like that or if having a camera were the equivalent of larking about for a facebook picture today.

Some good music and Copeland is interesting about the bad effects of fame towards the end. It doesn't outstay its welcome at just 70 mins.

Just got back from seeing this at Sundance, and I have to say (as an unabashed Police fan) that this is as great a perspective as you will get of a band's eye view of their world. From the initial chaos of life on the road, to the passion of those fans for whom your world is theirs, to the eventual strange, quiet normalcy of touring, the film is a unique postcard to a time when The Police were truly the world's biggest band.

What the film lacks in narrative conflict, it more than makes up for in its candid perspectives on the dynamics between the Police -- Andy Summers in particular is a hoot, and it's only a shame that Sting's tortured genius couldn't find more of a release in front of Stewart's camera.

No "warts and all" view of the band this, rather (as appropriately titled) it is as much a documentary of the fans who made the band what they were, as it is of the band itself, and is all the better for being so.

I saw the film at what I think was the third of three screenings at the Sundance Film Festival Tuesday night. I had modest expectations -- that were exceeded. The film's clearly not a glossy documentary, but it's certainly a cut above watching someone else's home movies. Copeland did a fine job of making the viewer feel included in the inner circle and created a fascinating document of a band's rise in popularity.

Everyone Stares is surprisingly poignant: you see the early camaraderie and friendship strain under the pressures of success and increased commercial expectations. Some reviewers have commented negatively on the story stopping before Synchronicity. I, on the other hand, think the core pieces of the story were told without embracing the final album (which, I'll add, is my least favorite of the five).

The soundtrack was inventive and enjoyable: Copeland deconstructed and remixed Police tracks, providing dubbed-out, looped versions that I really enjoyed both as film music and on its own.

From a music archivist point of view, it's unique and fascinating how Copeland managed to document as much as he did. Unlike a contrived "making of" video, this footage feels intimate and natural.

Here's how I'd sum this up: if you're predisposed to like The Police in the first place, you'll likely enjoy this movie. If not, well, there are other documentaries that probably relate to things you're interested in.

This DVD is for every die-hard Police fan. The 1st person perspective enlightens you on how the band saw their journey to stardom evolve. It was nice to see that Sting, Stewart & Andy actually got along quite well. There are some great in-studio shots of Sting & Andy working out the guitar riff for Da do do do, as well as Sting playing the bass on Secret Journey. I think the film actually peaks when the band plays the US festival. After that, the footage really dwindles. There is no Synchronicity footage at all. Perhaps the band was so big at that point that the camera was left home? I know MTV covered their tour and that was my first concert (Foxboro, MA 8/03)but still it would have been nice to see some of those behind the scenes. The music mix was sensational and I am looking forward to hear Stewart's arrangements.

Great Job Stewart!