Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who (2007)

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Directors:

Paul Crowder
Murray Lerner

Writer:

Mark Monroe (writer)

Release Date:

25 October 2008 (Japan)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Plot:

A documentary on The Who, featuring interviews with the band's two surviving members, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey. |

Plot Keywords:

Interview | Band | British | Recording Studio | 1960s

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Roger Daltrey	...	Himself
Pete Townshend	...	Himself
John Entwistle	...	Himself (archive footage)
Keith Moon	...	Himself (archive footage)
Richard Barnes	...	Himself
Jeffrey Baxter	...	Himself
John Bundrick	...	Himself
Dougal Butler	...	Himself
Bill Curbishley	...	Himself
Heather Daltrey	...	Herself
The Edge	...	Himself
Christopher Entwistle	...	Himself
Lesley Fox	...	Herself
Noel Gallagher	...	Himself
Alan Garrison	...	Himself

Also Known As:

My Generation: Who's Still Who (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

USA:237 min | Canada:120 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | Argentina:208 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (Dolby 5.1)

Certification:

Canada:PG | Germany:12 | UK:15 | USA:Not Rated | Netherlands:AL | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Japan:PG-12

Filming Locations:

Eel Pie Studios, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK

Company:

Spitfire Pictures

Quotes:

Pete Townshend: Gustav Metzger comes in and shows movies of him with one young Yoko Ono, by the way, bursting through paintings with... You know, slashing at it with a sword, and a bunch of what looks like idiotic art students on the streets smashing up an old piano, and then tries to describe his thesis, which was that what we're doing is we're destroying our planet, and what art should do is reflect that destruction.

Movie Connections:

References Live Aid (1985) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Summertime Blues

Amazing rock doc

Just saw Amazing Journey at the Toronto International Film Festival. I must admit that this was not a first pick as I was looking for something different for my closing day film.

Amazing Journey will be an orgasmic experience for Who devotees. The band went through several tragedies, including the deaths of Keith Moon and John Entwhistle. There were many violent fights between Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend. Daltrey might have been the pretty boy frontman but Townsend was the artist, one who was deeply insecure about never being able to surpass the artistic merits of either Tommy or Quadrophenia.

In the end, what emerges is a portrait of young men who let music permeate their lives. It's really about one's passion towards one's craft. Yes, there are lots of indulgences along the way: expensive toys, women, sycophants, and drugs. But as we see with the maturing of the Daltrey and Townsend friendship, the journey is a tough but essential part of aging gracefully into the elder statesmen of rock.

The loss of Entwhistle was devastating for both men who already carried much guilt over the death of Keith Moon. They just didn't see the signs of Entwhistle's flirtations with drugs. He dies on the eve of a reunion tour and they go on because it's important to keep the memory alive.

It is great to know that such a testimony to this band is available. What a shame it would be for younger generations to only know them as the band that made theme songs for the CSI franchise.