I Am Trying to Break Your Heart - A Film About Wilco

I am a huge admirer of the Wilco album "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", so seeing this was a no-brainer for me. I don't know much (if anything) about the band and had never read anything on how the record was made (did not know, for instance, that they recorded it themselves, in their loft, with absolutely no input or "supervision" by their record label) so I was fascinated to watch how some of the effects on this sonic masterpiece came to be.I also loved seeing the band perform some of the songs in an informal setting without effects--just guitars and drums and vocals, with gusto. After having soaked the finished product into my veins over the past decade, these stripped down versions almost felt like really rocking covers of what I have come to know as "the songs". Even though this is clearly the way they began.But I am left with a very bitter taste in my mouth after watching this. The film focuses quite a bit on the drama between Jay Bennett and Jeff Tweedy and in a way that clearly sides with Jeff. As in the case of a marriage, there are always two sides to the story when friction arises. And Jay is made to look like "the problem", when he clearly contributed considerably--both in songwriting and in production--to what is one of the great records of the decade (and certainly the top of Wilco's game). And Jeff is shown withholding from Jay in some very passive aggressive ways that made the situation roll downhill like a snowball, all with the cameras rolling. I realize Jeff IS Wilco to many (including his label, which is a point made by someone in the film) but I am a believer in THE BAND as king, and this representation was very difficult for me to swallow. I should emphasize that I knew nothing about Jay before seeing the film. I am not biased towards him or against him. I am not biased toward Jeff or against him either. But this film definitely is.SPOILER: Imagine my horror when, immediately after watching the film, I googled Jay Bennett and found out that he died of a painkiller overdose. Perhaps I'm letting emotions cloud my judgment and review of the film but...well, reviews are inherently subjective and this is my gut reaction. I feel bad for Jay and can only imagine how seeing this depiction of himself contributed to some long nights of anger, shame, despair and a sense of injustice. I hope he found the ability to philosophize it away as one filmmaker's version of events and not let it bother him too much. And maybe he WAS a control-freak and high maintenance and all that. And maybe there's no way to tell the story of the record without showing this. Maybe that WAS the prevailing dynamic of the recording (drama between Jay and Jeff, mostly Jay's fault), I don't know. I'm just saying it made me wonder if I was getting the full story.Anyway, it's a really beautifully shot film, a great showcase for the music and you get to see a major record label shoot itself in the ass at the 11th hour. I highly recommend it. Just be aware that the truth has many sides.

All documentary films are fiction to some degree, and I'm Trying to Break Your Heart is no exception. The story itself is that of legend at this point: mid sized band takes on huge record company and outwits it. Just keep in mind that there are important things missing in the movie; like a back drop of where the band is coming from and the firing of long time Wilco drummer Ken Coomer at the start of filming.The bonus material gets a 3 out of 4 stars. We get mostly acoustic versions of live solo Tweedy tracks. While nice to have, the full band efforts would have been nice in 5.1. By the way, if you're looking for movie tracks that didn't make the CD, check out the EP that came out with the Aussie import version of YHF and Tweedy's other, other band, Loose Fur.All DVD's have the obligatory commentary and this one is no exception. In this case, the band commentary is an hour long form of re-visionist history as the band dances around all the truths that the movie exposes.For fans of Wilco, this movie is more about the songs that became Yankee Hotel Foxtrot then anything else. Watching the band build and deconstruct the music that became YHF creates a fascinating fish eye view into a really rather secretive world, Jeff Tweedy's mind.

This is a rock and roll documentary that can be enjoyed by anyone. Even if you don't know who Wilco is or if you're not a huge fan, this documentary can still be completely entertaining. It ranks with the best of the rock and roll documentaries including "Don't Look Back", "The Last Waltz" and "Gimme Shelter".What seemed to start out as an average making the album documentary turns into so much more as the band struggles and gives everything they have to make the album "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" only to be rejected by the record label when they turn in the final version. Band members clash and Jeff Tweedy seems to be ready to have a nervous breakdown at any moment.If you don't know much about Wilco, this is a great way to get to know them. "I'm Trying To Break Your Heart" shows how one of the greatest albums of the past ten years was made and the determination it took to bring it to the world. I'm extremely greatful. Thanks Wilco.

Wilco will eventually be recognized as one of the greatest bands to have ever produced music. To see what they had to endure internally as a band and then with their label was heartbreaking. This film perfectly summarizes the difficulties of producing art in a commercial setting. Not all bands are as fortunate, but you see for even the bands that are fortunate to do what they want the way they want, that there is still a hefty price that will be paid. Any fan of Wilco will appreciate this film and any fan of the documentary genre will appreciate the job Sam Jones did capturing this subject.

One of the best documentaries about the amazing band Wilco, under the eyes of Sam Jones. Beyond essential for fans is an amazing artwork.

Got it cheap and in good condition, plus it turned up on time. A very interesting docu, with plenty of great music.

terrific music documentary!

Lo quería comprar para reemplazar una copia de un DVD que manché cuando me lo dejó prestado un amigo. Tenía todos los contenidos del mismo, pero era imposible distinguir en la web que el formato y tamaó de la caja era diferente (éste, más pequeño y menos resultón).

Le film sur l'un des meilleurs albums de tous les temps.Avec des versions alternatives des titres de l'album qui font rêver (incroyable la puissance mélodique de chaque morceau) et l'évolution artistique de ce grand groupe au cours de la création de leur chef d'oeuvre.L'un des meilleurs documentaires musicaux que j'ai pu voir.