Music From the Inside Out Reviews

A couple of moments worth watching with some insightful thoughts on what makes musicians tick. But, the overwhelming majority of the film does't inspire or entertain. Paul Chambers, CNN.

Full Review | Original Score: C-

...it's the musical journey more than the final destination that pulls us along.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10

...undramatic and exceedingly pleasant, like eavesdropping at a dinner of intelligent craftspeople trading their best anecdotes.

These obviously very talented musicians haven't been chosen for their charisma, but their experience and perspective reveals much about the passion and technique of performance.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5

The result is 90 minutes in the company of some of the nicest and most boring people you can imagine ever having a movie made about them.

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We hear all kinds of comments -- about personal satisfactions, dissatisfactions, rewards.

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It doesn't attempt to neatly summarize the musical experience. Anker gives the players free rein to express their wonderment.

Full Review | Original Score: A-

Those who prefer a little meat on their documentary bones may come away hungry.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4

Music from the Inside Out is not so much about the people, but about what they create, and it's at its most effective when the talking stops.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4

The film is especially valuable to people with limited knowledge of a major orchestra because it breaks the culture apart and gives its many voices individuality and intimacy.

Full Review | Original Score: A

The composite picture it offers of the performing life is still unforgettable.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4

Among the dull passages there are moving stories, and a very loving sympathy for the people it profiles.

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Here the power of music needs no further explanation.

Full Review | Original Score: B-

It's nice to know that these one-time band nerds now have such a warm and rewarding, if challenging, community.

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Provides no real answers but plenty of thoughtful ideas and enriching music along the way.

With a soundtrack that ranges from classical to jazz to bluegrass, this is not only an obvious choice for music lovers, but required viewing for anyone interested in the mysteries of creative inspiration.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4

Daniel Anker's profound and moving documentary captures the power of the creative process in an uncommonly perceptive and inspiring way.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5

The problem with a film that relies heavily on letting musicians talk is that musicians are not often very good talkers. They are eloquent on their instruments but, without them, often resort to inarticulate platitudes.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4

Doesn't quite answer the 'why' of music, but delights by allowing us to get to know the individuals of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Full Review | Original Score: B+

A revealing portrait of painfully withdrawn artists navigating the tug between the divine harmony of an orchestral synthesis and the sweaty glow of individual experimentation.

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