Golden Days (2007) User Reviews

Well crafted and compelling

[lucwel · 9/10 · 7 April 2008]

This film took the Best Documentary award at last year's Phoenix Film Festival and was one vote away from winning one of the other major festival awards. There's good reason for this. It's a well crafted portrait that works, in large part, because of how good this band really is (think alternative pop with great hooks and strong vocals.) A feature length documentary needs a compelling subject, and fleshes out its subject in ways that both enlighten and entertain, and this film scores high on all counts while never becoming tedious. The movie follows the band from its humble New York beginnings to the point where it approaches critical mass; you're privy to record company meetings, concerts, and the history/background of the band and its members. The other element that really makes this film work is the band's lead singer. He's funny, intelligent and provocative, and it's his comments that provide some of the more insightful -- and often hilarious -- moments of the film. The director found a great story and wisely let it tell itself, creating a great documentary in the process. If you're a fan of the genre, don't miss this one.

There's a distance in your eyes only mine can see.

[dunkerque21 · 9/10 · 16 April 2008]

I was lucky enough to see this film as well during the Phoenix Film Festival last year and found it well deserving of the Best Documentary award. In fact, with the twists and turns, the story line could have been one from a regular script and never been questioned.

The humility and frustration comes flying off the screen and makes you cognizant of what a talented band has to experience and undergo to make it in the current music times. I wish I could say I could be so understanding and positive in the light of what happened to them, and say and act how the band, especially the lead singer Alex Dezen, did when their label dropped them because they thought they could only sell 300,000 thousand copies of their album. What band wouldn't love to have that many people listen to their music?

The documentary is full of charm and heartbreaking moments, as well as reflective and beautiful music that shows that The Damnwells have the aptitude to write music that stick with you; such as other artists like Jeff Buckley, and Ryan Adams. Truly a gem.

Listen to their music first

[zlucasz · 1/10 · 15 November 2007]

Does every rock band now think that having somebody shoot a bunch of video footage about their struggle for success think it's the way for an end run to success? And isn't anybody else tired of the same old rock whining? The Damnwells music is as lame as the Brian Jonestown Massacre's (though in a different style), but the BJM had some mildly entertaining hijinks in the overrated Dig (and that would have been only half as good if it weren't for the tambourine player, who was quite amusingly the band's real star). Golden Days is about one-tenth as interesting as Dig (naturally assumed to be an inspiration for this project). I suspect all the high ratings are from fans of the band: if you don't like their music and you've already seen a couple of docs about bands, there's not much here to enjoy.