Review of Pearl Jam Twenty (2011) by Rob M — 18 Feb 2012

A lot of rock documentaries aren't worth your time mostly because they have all the depth and complexity of an episode of VH1's "Behind the Music". What makes "Pearl Jam Twenty" the exception to that rule is the fact that it was written and directed by a fan who is also a very talented filmmaker.

Cameron Crowe doesn't put the band on a pedestal or shy away from some negative moments in the band's history, but he also doesn't get bogged down in a timeline structure either. He lets the band talk, and the frequent concert footage and performances animate what is already an electrifying film. It was a rare treat to get to hear frontman Eddie Vedder speak from the heart on the night Kurt Cobain was found dead, getting to see something like that for the first time that I never had the chance to experience live. In the same respect, the same could be said of getting to see a video of the band performing "Alive" at only their second live show together. We also get to hear Vedder's explanation of the song's meaning in his own words.

But there's so much more here than a lot of great music. The film touches on the band's legendary battles with Ticketmaster and President Bush, along with the especially tragic aftermath of the crowd-surfing deaths at the Roskilde festival. This all-encompassing documentary doesn't leave any area untouched, and because of that, "Pearl Jam Twenty" is one of the best rock docs I've seen in recent memory. It would be worth seeing for the concert footage if nothing else, but it's so much more than that. It reinvigorated my love for the band and their music.