I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (2002)

Director:

Sam Jones

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Plot:

First-time filmmaker and award-winning photographer Sam Jones documents the recording of Wilco's album, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot."

Plot Keywords:

Employment Dismissal | Music Business | Musician | Record Company | Recording Studio

Cast

Jeff Tweedy	...	Himself
John Stirratt	...	Himself
Leroy Bach	...	Himself
Glenn Kotche	...	Himself
Jay Bennett	...	Himself
Greg Kot	...	Himself
Tony Margherita	...	Himself
Fred Armisen	...	Himself
Wes Orshoski	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bill Bentley
David Bither
Lin Brehmer
Chris Brickley
Ken Coomer	...	Himself
David Fricke
Chris Green
Josh Greir
Daniel Herbst
Howie Klein
Miiri Kotche
Marty Lennartz
Fred Longberg Holm
Ron Lowe
Susan Miller Tweedy
Jim O'Rourke
Jonathan Parker
Jason Tobias
Sam Tweedy
Spencer Tweedy
Jonathan Valania

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Bona Fide Productions

Movie Connections:

References Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Self-Important, promotional, shallow dreck

I went into this film with expectations, from the hype, that it would be insightful and uplifting. Certainly something more than a cheap promotional for the band "Wilco."

Instead we get a lot of moping and whining about "the process," a dishonorable and no doubt one-sided portrayal of one band members who was kicked out by the prima donna lead singer/songwriter, a gut-wrenching confession by the fallen member's friend -- for like 18 years -- saying the "friendship had run its course," and this whiny, uncompelling story about how one record label "hurt their feelings" by dumping them, only so that the band could immediately get 50 offers from other labels (oh, the tension...not!) They tried their best to make it look like it was a strain, but I suspect it was all smoke and mirrors to generate a tragedy that didn't exist. This doesn't even take into account the long stretches where we get many of their newest songs shoved at us in full without any storyline, insight or even a decent job at cinematography. The strained attempts at emotional sincerity or reasonable perspective on life made me sick to watch.

From the film, this band sounds like a bunch of vile little babies who poke around to find a voice they don't have and think they're some kind of guardians for the art of music, which they most definitely are not. And I thought the music sucked, and I couldn't even understand the lyrics due to the mumbling style of the lead singer.

I give it a 2/10.