Review of Shut Up and Play the Hits (2012) by Keep_Yr_Bias — 18 Jul 2012
If you're a fan of LCD Soundsystem this is an absolute must see. Even if you're just a fan of music in general and are not familiar with the band, you'll likely still enjoy this movie. The editing on this "documentary" is flawless.
The film begins the morning after the show. James Murphy (frontman of the band for those that don't know) is waking up, hungover after their final show at MSG. He ends up meeting up with Chuck Klosterman (a brilliant writer) for an interview at a restaraunt/cafe.
As the interview begins the movie cuts back and forth from the day after the show, the interview with Klosterman, and the footage of the show itself. Everything transitions as smoothly as it can. The footage from the show is absolutely incredible.
LCD Soundsystem is known for their high energy, and emotional performances and the live concert footage couldn't be better. You pretty much feel like you're on stage with James Murphy and the band. LCD fans will love the fact that the songs in the movie are played in their entirety most of the time.
Watching them play songs like, "All My Friends", "Us Vs. Them", "Jump Into the Fire", "Losing My Edge" etc. is a somewhat euphoric experience. Beyond the amazing live footage, Klosterman asks Murphy great questions.
The final question he asks him is a brilliant question. Before asking the question Klosterman talks about how actors/athletes/musicians are remembered for the successes, but defined by their failure.
He comes right out and asks Murphy what his biggest failure was. It's a ballsy question, and Murphy is visibly caught off guard. I won't say what Murphy's answer is, but I found it to be very interesting.
Murphy and LCD were in the prime of their music career. They were as succesful as you could possibly be without selling out, had a loyal fan base, yet decided to quit early. It's sad that they quit, but this movie gives you a look into the mind of Murphy and why he decided to walk away from the music that he loved to make.
This review of Shut Up and Play the Hits (2012) was written by Keep_Yr_Bias on 18 Jul 2012.
Shut Up and Play the Hits has generally received very positive reviews.
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