In 1984, Paul McCartney made a feature-length film that was simply a gigantic music video--not a film, per se. Think about it--108 minutes of nothing but music videos with the barest of plots to connect them. Even for many die-hard Beatles or McCartney fans, this is quite the endurance contest to watch! In most ways, it seems like twenty years after A HARD DAYS NIGHT, McCartney is trying to recapture the magic--without John and George. Ringo and his lovely trophy wife make an appearance as do a few of McCartney's other friends, but the magic is sadly missing and it just looks like a very, very expensive home movie.
To put it bluntly, I found the whole experience tedious--and I couldn't wait to leave the theater. Now I must admit that I have never been a huge McCartney fan--I can take him or leave him. So, my reaction may not be yours. However, considering the movie is so unstructured and undisciplined, no one can SERIOUSLY call this a good film. Poor acting, dopey fantasy sequences and an overall aura of self-indulgence make this a vanity piece that seems twice as long as its actual running time. Had MOST musicians wanted to produce such a film, I doubt if any studio would have agreed. Given McCartney's pedigree, I guess it must have been pretty hard to say 'no'. Thank goodness this film didn't do well in the box office--otherwise, we might have been treated by follow-ups! In fact, it did so poorly that it might have been THE reason the Broadstreet station was closed and demolished just two years after this movie debuted.
PS--Some gave this film a 10.
To put it bluntly, I found the whole experience tedious--and I couldn't wait to leave the theater. Now I must admit that I have never been a huge McCartney fan--I can take him or leave him. So, my reaction may not be yours. However, considering the movie is so unstructured and undisciplined, no one can SERIOUSLY call this a good film. Poor acting, dopey fantasy sequences and an overall aura of self-indulgence make this a vanity piece that seems twice as long as its actual running time. Had MOST musicians wanted to produce such a film, I doubt if any studio would have agreed. Given McCartney's pedigree, I guess it must have been pretty hard to say 'no'. Thank goodness this film didn't do well in the box office--otherwise, we might have been treated by follow-ups! In fact, it did so poorly that it might have been THE reason the Broadstreet station was closed and demolished just two years after this movie debuted.
PS--Some gave this film a 10.