I have never been a big fan of Oasis, considering them to be a simple rehash of old musical ideas spiced up with a heavy dose of Manchester attitude, but I found this film to be utterly compelling. It was shown on TV in the UK at 10pm when I was ready to retire to bed but my wife and I ended up glued to it and watched the whole thing.
I played in a Manchester band in the early 90s and I thought I knew everything I needed to know about Oasis but this film revealed a new perspective. Rather than the snarling, foul-mouthed oaf he is depicted as in the UK media (and by his brother) we see Liam as a far more three-dimensional character, projecting glimmers of genuine charisma and talent alongside the sweary outbursts. It's a PR job of course, but a very good one nonetheless.
And that's where the only real problem with this film lies; it is an advert for brand Oasis and it is very kind to them. The film sees us through to the peak of their fame with the massive sold-out shows at Knebworth, but we don't get any insight into the wasted opportunities and rapid decline which followed. As impressive as the band's rise was, the story arc doesn't feel complete.
I would recommend this film to anyone interested in rock music though, even if they don't particularly like Oasis. In fact, if you don't know their story already that probably just makes it all the more interesting.
I played in a Manchester band in the early 90s and I thought I knew everything I needed to know about Oasis but this film revealed a new perspective. Rather than the snarling, foul-mouthed oaf he is depicted as in the UK media (and by his brother) we see Liam as a far more three-dimensional character, projecting glimmers of genuine charisma and talent alongside the sweary outbursts. It's a PR job of course, but a very good one nonetheless.
And that's where the only real problem with this film lies; it is an advert for brand Oasis and it is very kind to them. The film sees us through to the peak of their fame with the massive sold-out shows at Knebworth, but we don't get any insight into the wasted opportunities and rapid decline which followed. As impressive as the band's rise was, the story arc doesn't feel complete.
I would recommend this film to anyone interested in rock music though, even if they don't particularly like Oasis. In fact, if you don't know their story already that probably just makes it all the more interesting.