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Reviews
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream (2007)
Absolutely mesmerizing!!!
My wife and I didn't blink, except at the end when we were in tears. Honestly people, WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY!!! I have seen them all, from The Tommy Dorsey Story to this, with Spinal Tap and The Ruttles in between. THIS IS THE BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY I HAVE EVER SEEN - BY A LONG WAYS. It is like one of those great songs that literally writes itself.
Peter Bogdanovich deserves an Academy Award. The pacing, the entry and exit from each scene or topic, the feel that is captured, the very subtle nuances, well....they're perfect. Thank you for not detouring away from the core band and their music! Bogdanovich makes the four hours seem like minutes. We didn't want it to stop.
It also helps to have great subject matter, and I now realize why Bogdanovich took on this project - Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers are the Real Deal. What they have given us is overwhelming. And what they went through and put up with in order to do it only adds to their reputation, and to the story itself.
My wife and I keep going back to the DVR and rewinding to scenes or moments that are totally captivating. And, it's true, we were both in tears at the end. It really is that good.
Thank you to Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers for letting us into your intensely fascinating world, to Peter Bogdanovich for capturing it so perfectly, to Tom Petty for staying true to his spirit, to Mike Campbell for showing us that a brilliant lead guitarist can also be reverent and humble and to everyone else - your synergy is an inspiration. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
We were the 4th and 5th spectators to walk out.
My wife and I walked out after about an hour and a half. Three other people didn't wait that long. The cinematography was beautiful. The atmosphere was definitely there. The problem is that the screenplay gave us no reason to care about these characters. If anything it convinced us not to like them. Watching offensive characters that give the viewer no reason to like them for 160 minutes is asking a lot. Furthermore, while Pitt is an engaging personality, we don't care to watch him beat up a little kid or shoot people just because he can. Any "Oscar Buzz" about this movie or Pitt has to be the result of the studio's marketing efforts and not the reality of the movie itself. Watching people being terrorized, intimidated or killed in cold blood is not what we consider entertainment. The overt violence is held together by random acts of mental and emotional cruelty. Somewhere along the line I recall reading a couple of offhand remarks by Pitt wherein he indicated he didn't really care for the finished product either. We agree.