Pearl Jam Twenty

Pearl Jam Twenty (2011)

**** (out of 4)

Wonderful documentary from Cameron Crowe about the twenty years of Pearl Jam. Crowe talks about how he was living in Seattle when the entire grunge/alternative scene broke and from here on we see how the band came to be. Using interviews, archival footage and current concert footage, Crowe turns this into one of the better documentaries out there. We see the band starting out, rising to the top with the album Ten, taking on Ticketmaster, touring with Neil Young and then continue to try and make sure they stay true to themselves even when some of their fans started to question them. I was around 13 when the Seattle based rock really took off and I remember listening to Pearl Jam for a few years but then my music tastes started to change. I really haven't kept up with the band since then so one should keep that in mind as they read this but I thought the documentary was terrific. It really gave me a terrific idea of what the band is, who they wanted to be and it was great fun seeing their rise to fame and seeing how they almost broke up. I found Crowe's direction to be marvelous because a lot of times with these documentaries you have someone who doesn't know how to put all the footage together to make it entertaining. Concert footage is great. Interviews are great. Even television show clips are great. However, so many documentaries don't know how to put all the footage together but Crowe does a wonderful job and really delivers a film that even non-fans should enjoy. Even though I haven't followed the band in many years this documentary really made me want to rush out and buy their CDs and DVDs. I found the interviews to be extremely good and I liked the fact that Crowe didn't shy away from some of the darker moments in their twenty years. The documentary also covers some other groups from this Seattle era including the relationship between Pearl Jam and Nirvana. The suicide of Kurt Cobain is also covered and we get concert footage from the night of his death. Overall Crowe really has worked a mini miracle in bringing Pearl Jam's story to life. If someone like me enjoyed it so much I'm sure die-hard fans of the group will feel as if they're in Heaven.

I have been a fan on Pearl Jam for years. I was 18 when the Seattle scene broke, so Pearl Jam became the soundtrack of my young adult years.

I was a bit leery of this movie, as it could have really have turned me off the band depending on how it all went down. I was sitting on the edge of my seat the whole movie. The crowd singing the song "Better Man", brought tears to my eyes. You really get an idea of how fast the band became huge, and the problems they had keeping their "art" rather than their business. I have gained a greater appreciation for this rock band, and it just made me a bigger fan

Simply put, Pearl Jam "10" one of the greatest rock records ever, and Pearl jam "20" one of the greatest rock movies ever

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

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.

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