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Film Review: I am Trying to break your Heart: A film about Wilco
When Sam Jones set out to make a documentary film about the band Wilco back in 2000, he
thought he would be documenting the making of an album from recording through release
in stores. As it turns out, that's exactly what happened... just not how he thought.
"I am Trying to Break Your Heart" documents the recording of Wilco's breathtaking CD "Yankee
Hotel Foxtrot". Wilco has always been known for their willingness to experiment in the studio
which often leads to unconvential arrangements of simple songs. No one can "mess up" a song
and make it beautiful quite like Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy.
The film begins with some of the studio sessions that led to the record that would be YHF. Microphones
are everywhere as the band effortlessly tries new arrangements of new songs. It is fascinating to watch
them at work. Keeping in mind that this is a documentary, the first half of the movie is mostly a series
of songs mixed up with interviews of people around the band. This might sound boring but Jones has
filmed this movie in such a masterful way that it never gets dull. Shot entirely in black and white
and on film (as opposed to digital video), the film has a classic look most reminiscent of D.A. Pennebaker's
"Don't Look Back".
Not to give away everything that happens in the film, but when Wilco turns the completed album in to their
record label it is met with a less than enthusiastic response. The band is soundly dumped from their
contract and it appears as though the album might not ever see the light of day. This struggle is the
true beauty of the movie. It is fascinating to hear record executives and managers talk about the
difference between what is marketable and what is art. Hearing first hand accounts of the way record
labels think (it's all about the money) is almost enough to turn the stomach. In the end though,
Wilco triumphs in a rather mighty way over the big bad record label, restoring at least a little
faith that the future of music might not be entirely bleak.
Now available on DVD, "I am Trying to Break Your Heart" features a second disc filled with 70 minutes
of footage cut from the original film featuring 17 additional songs. At just over $20, this DVD set is a bargain.
This DVD combined with the finished CD of "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" should be enough to keep any music lover
busy for the better part of a day.
Fans of Wilco and fans of good music and good filmmaking in general will enjoy this film. Some are already
saying that this will go down as one of the great rock documentaries. Time will tell, but for right now, this
is an intriguing film that captures an important band in the midst of an important struggle.
Review by Greg Adkins
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