A very likable, intimate portrait of the punk rock turned art rock group The Flaming Lips.
A very unusual documentary in that the film was made by a longtime friend of the band members, especially leader Wayne Coyne.
But rather than that leading to a glossy 'these guys are perfect' approach, it leads to a sense of honesty, of humor, of admitting of personal faults (right down to a band member using drugs on camera, and talking in a pretty heartbreaking way about his addiction).
And what's fascinating about this particular group from Oklahoma is that they're wildly creative, while still seeming like nice regular human beings with families, day to day problems, good and bad sides -- unlike what we usually see of rock stars living in Hollywood mansions and hiding from the world.
If there's a problem with the film it's that, for someone like me who doesn't really know the band's music, we see and hear so little of it that sometimes it's hard to fully understand the evolution of their work that's being discussed. So in some ways this film will work best for those who are already fans of the group,
But that said, I still really enjoyed it, found I liked these people, laughed with their funny view of life (the 'reenactment' of the robbery of a 'Long John Silver's' where Wayne once worked is a comic highlight) and even found myself touched by the end.
A very unusual documentary in that the film was made by a longtime friend of the band members, especially leader Wayne Coyne.
But rather than that leading to a glossy 'these guys are perfect' approach, it leads to a sense of honesty, of humor, of admitting of personal faults (right down to a band member using drugs on camera, and talking in a pretty heartbreaking way about his addiction).
And what's fascinating about this particular group from Oklahoma is that they're wildly creative, while still seeming like nice regular human beings with families, day to day problems, good and bad sides -- unlike what we usually see of rock stars living in Hollywood mansions and hiding from the world.
If there's a problem with the film it's that, for someone like me who doesn't really know the band's music, we see and hear so little of it that sometimes it's hard to fully understand the evolution of their work that's being discussed. So in some ways this film will work best for those who are already fans of the group,
But that said, I still really enjoyed it, found I liked these people, laughed with their funny view of life (the 'reenactment' of the robbery of a 'Long John Silver's' where Wayne once worked is a comic highlight) and even found myself touched by the end.