Radio Exile | All Together Now: A Documentary Film DVD Review

All Together Now: A Documentary Film DVD Review

By Elie Z. Perler November 24, 2008 Post a comment | Email the author

If seeing Love [Official Website] in Las Vegas is not part of your travel plans this year, just watch All Together Now [Trailer]. Released last month, this fascinating documentary is the quintessential primer, for it chronicles the entire Cirque Du Soleil show, from planning to premier. And since the film is officially commissioned by Apple Corps, we hear from all the iconic players – Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko, Olivia Harrison, Sir George and Giles Martin – in a collective effort to drum up interest in the initiative.

The narrative begins with the genesis of the idea itself, and how a Beatles-Cirque endeavor was essentially the brainchild of George Harrison. An avid fan of the acrobatic production, he approached show founder Guy Laliberte back in 2000 to see if there was anything he could create with the Beatles’ music. We learn that the project became a delicate balancing act between the three vested entities – Apple Corps, Cirque Du Soleil, and the Mirage Casino – and how egos and tempers played a pivotal role in the outcome. Indeed, there is one memorable scene that portrays Yoko, after seeing a production snippet, accusing Dominic Champagne (writer/director) of not being inspired.

Some of the most satisfying moments of the film, however, are the re-hashed stories and the musicians’ opinions on their own legacy. For instance, Paul McCartney explaining how he and John Lennon would sit to write a song, and have a completed composition in a mere three hours. Or seeing an emotional George Martin react to the music that ultimately defined his own career. Other highlights included are the bonus featurettes. “Changing the Music” focuses on the daunting task to re-work the original masters into a complex new mosaic, while “Music in the Theatre” explains the cutting-edge sound system employed to provide show-goers the definitive sonic experience (over six thousand speakers in the theater, including one in every seat-back).

From opening to credits, All Together Now further proves the Beatles never relied on the crutch of half-assed reunion tours and new records to keep the message alive. While Queen, the Who, Rolling Stones, and countless other classic rock contemporaries continue to sell out to the oldies circuit, Fab Four output remains a self-sustaining entity and perpetual source of inspiration. Their catalog is the indisputable modern-day holy grail. Sir George Martin said it best, “Each generation, as it grows up, finds the Beatles for themselves…and it will go on.”