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Movies / On DVD / Backbeat
Backbeat

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Backbeat (1994)

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Reviews Counted:34

Fresh:25

Rotten:9

Average Rating:6.1/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 20 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: A reconstruction of the legendary British rock group's early days, before the advent of Beatlemania and world-wide fame. The story focuses on the turbulent and exciting period that the Beatles'... A reconstruction of the legendary British rock group's early days, before the advent of Beatlemania and world-wide fame. The story focuses on the turbulent and exciting period that the Beatles' spent in Hamburg, Germany in 1960-62, when they played in a series of rough-and-tumble dives and came into contact with cutting-edge artists. Among them was photographer Astrid Kirchherr, who helped shape the group's image, and with whom both John Lennon and former Beatle Stu Sutcliffe fell in love. Ultimately, Sutcliffe left the group, making way for the success of one of the greatest phenomena in rock music history. [More]

Starring: Sheryl Lee, Stephen Dorff, Ian Hart

Starring: Sheryl Lee, Stephen Dorff, Ian Hart

Director: Iain Softley

Director: Iain Softley
Screenwriter: Iain Softley, Michael Thomas, Stephen Ward
Producer: Finola Dwyer, Stephen Woolley

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Aug 12, 2003

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Backbeat

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1 - 20 (sorted by comments)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

All the cast give credible performances.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
10/04/03
Channel 4 Film

First-time director Iain Softley makes the film more visually distinctive than most music bios.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
09/10/07
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Iain Softley directs his feature debut with simplicity and feeling, and you don't have to have been a Beatles fan to get with the beat. Gives you hope for the British film industry.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
06/22/05
Angie Errigo
Angie Errigo
Empire Magazine

Nice look at the early life of the Beatles.

comment Comment
09/08/02
Bob Bloom
Bob Bloom
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

The music, done here by a group of grunge all-stars, doesn't even attempt to sound dead-on, but remains mostly true to the raucous spirit of the time.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Brad Laidman
Brad Laidman
Film Threat

hen Stu begins his relationship with Astrid, the film begins to lose its way, partly because it sinks into bathos and partly because Lee never captures the character. And we're talking about the bulk of the movie.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/01/00
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Backbeat is a tragedy for sure, but it’s a tragedy with one hell of a soundtrack.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

No review available.

comment Comment
10/09/05
Chuck O'Leary
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily

No review available.

comment Comment
11/14/05
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

points to the tragic irony of immortality being achieved through early death

Full Review Source: Draxblog Movie Reviews | comment Comment
08/17/05
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
Draxblog Movie Reviews

The film tells the story of the original, little-known fifth Beatle, Stuart Sutcliffe, a young painter with rock n' roll sensibility who in 1960 forgoes his promising art career to join his best friend John Lennon (nicely played by Ian Hart) in Berlin

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
09/12/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

A raucous film about the Beatles before they made it big

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
07/18/03
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

The music is loud and raw, but nevertheless evokes the excitement it generated.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out

Since director Iain Softley seems more interested in establishing tone and atmosphere than in creating vital personalities, he is unable to harness the full power of his story.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

interesting, colorful backstage Beatles chronicle

comment Comment
07/29/02
James Sanford
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette

Backbeat, which for all its pretensions can often be impressively canny and affectionate about its subject, is helped enormously by newly recorded versions of Beatle records.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
08/16/02
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

Softley is able to enliven a familiar story and famous characters. His cast helps him.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
John F. Kelly
John F. Kelly
Washington Post

There's nothing very profound here, but we do at least get a nice handling of period and milieu, and pretty good performances of the songs.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
09/10/07
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Very good biopic about the early days of the Beatles

comment Comment
08/21/02
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by comments)
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August 24, 2006: New Line Signs Bettany & Fraser for "Inkheart"
New Line's just getting the ball rolling on their highly-anticipated "His Dark Materials" series -- and now they have an all-new potential trilogy to worry about.... More...

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