When photographer and commercial director Sam Jones began plans to make I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, he envisioned a long-form rock video about the making of a Wilco album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. But right from the start, it seemed that Jones was destined to make a documentary about an extremely tumultuous period in the band's existence. The day before Jones started shooting, Jeff Tweedy, the band's singer-songwriter, called to say that they had fired Ken Coomer, and hired a new drummer,
Glenn Kotche. Jones started shooting his film, in black-and-white, as the band recorded their inventive new album. He captured the tensions caused by creative differences between Tweedy and guitarist-songwriter-engineer Jay Bennett. Tweedy takes a break from making the album to go on a short solo tour. The band eventually completes the album, and after it's mixed by Jim O'Rourke, Tweedy is happy with it, and feels that the band has taken their music in a new direction. They send it to their label, Reprise, a division of Time Warner, and after two weeks of silence, the label, concerned about the album's commercial prospects, calls band manager Tony Margherita and asks for the band to make changes. Tweedy refuses, and Reprise decides to let the band take Yankee Hotel Foxtrot elsewhere. The band goes on tour, and stream the album on their website. Eventually the conflict between Tweedy and Bennett comes to a head. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (named of a song on the album) documents the unexpected trials of the band, and their efforts to overcome them. The film premiered at the 2002 Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
If you aren't already a fan of Wilco, a critical darling led by the talented and wily songwriter Jeff Tweedy, the film does little to enlighten or recruit.
Even if you don't know the band or the album's songs by heart, you will enjoy seeing how both evolve, and you will also learn a good deal about the state of the music business in the 21st Century.
It is an often overlooked gem of a movie, chronicling the creative process of making a personal record in more detail than has even been seen. Also, the film is helped tremendously by some great music from Wilco, and a ironic, triumphant twist of real-lif
Fortunately for Wilco, who have a passion for excellence, creative freedom, and innovation, Jones's camera recorded footage at the scene of a crime against art.
..while the DVD version of the project is unlikely to win the hearts and minds of non-Wilco fans, it is a much better product than the mere film itself.
Not only does this musical documentary showcase a band that's at the top of its form ... it also serves as indictment of the ridiculously shallow, pre-fab music industry in general.
Wilco are one of the greatest bands on Earth and this documentary film of the making of their masterpiece, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", is a fascinating glimpse at record company machination vs the creation of art.
An interesting look at the creative process and a must see for Wilco fans, who will get to see the drama behind one of the best albums of the past ten years.
March 3, 2007
Steve K
Super Reviewer
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