Barnes & Noble

On the surface, the subtitle of Sam Jones's documentary, "A Film About Wilco," may appear misleading. The film is not about shock value, or making the alt-country group worthy of a VH-1 special. Rather, it's a chronicle of the recording of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, an album for which the band was given a modest budget and free creative rein. Shooting on black-and-white film that conveys a sense of intimacy and honesty, Jones shows Wilco at work and at odds, both in the studio and in performance. Adding to the film's voyeuristic texture is an insightful array of interviews with the band, manager Tony Margherita, and music critic David Fricke, among others. The tumultuous turns following Foxtrot's completion -- including the label's decision to reject the record and drop the band, as well as the exodus of co-songwriter Jay Bennett -- came as a surprise to many. Jones does what he can to put these events in perspective, but the ultimate picture is that of a great American band that, despite creative differences, crafted an acclaimed recording. Don't be confused; I Am Trying to Break Your Heart is not merely a cerebral treatment of the band. There's plenty of music for fans to sink their teeth into, both of the recorded and live variety. And this is really where it becomes "A Film About Wilco." Despite the turmoil with record executives, Wilco is about music. The fan-friendly two-DVD release features commentary by Jones and the band, a making-of featurette, and more than 70 minutes of extra footage including live performances and unreleased songs. Tony Nigro

All Movie Guide

When photographer and commercial director Sam Jones began plans to make I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, he envisioned a long-form rock video about the making of a Wilco album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. But right from the start, it seemed that Jones was destined to make a documentary about an extremely tumultuous period in the band's existence. The day before Jones started shooting, Jeff Tweedy, the band's singer-songwriter, called to say that they had fired Ken Coomer, and hired a new drummer, Glenn Kotche. Jones started shooting his film, in black-and-white, as the band recorded their inventive new album. He captured the tensions caused by creative differences between Tweedy and guitarist-songwriter-engineer Jay Bennett. Tweedy takes a break from making the album to go on a short solo tour. The band eventually completes the album, and after it's mixed by Jim O'Rourke, Tweedy is happy with it, and feels that the band has taken their music in a new direction. They send it to their label, Reprise, a division of Time Warner, and after two weeks of silence, the label, concerned about the album's commercial prospects, calls band manager Tony Margherita and asks for the band to make changes. Tweedy refuses, and Reprise decides to let the band take Yankee Hotel Foxtrot elsewhere. The band goes on tour, and stream the album on their website. Eventually the conflict between Tweedy and Bennett comes to a head. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (named of a song on the album) documents the unexpected trials of the band, and their efforts to overcome them. The film premiered at the 2002 Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Product Details

• UPC: 082354003623
• Source: PLEXIFILM
• Region Code: 0
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: B&W, Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Language: English
• Time: 1:32:00
• Sales Rank: 27,680

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