In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50

Ok you need to understand my personal bias . I am a fan for nearly tte entire 50 years. But it was NOT a nostalgic film looking back at the past. It was a film about the present. A snap shot of who they are and where they are at now. That was refreshing. It was done in good humor and revealed an intimate portrait of the Crims and there extended members. The quality of the cinematography and editing is superior and the entire film was assembled thoughtfully producing a genuine portrait of the band at that point in time. You don't need to be a fan to enjoy the film but it helps to understand the characters involved. It's is well worth the time spent watching if only for entertainment but I would suggest you will walk away enriched .

Honestly, my title says it all. This truly transcends description. It's almost like after seeing this, ANY words just simply are inadequate and anything I try to say about this film and whatever I attempt to articulate would be trite and insufficient.

I know this is a VERY unusual review and not at all like any of the others that I have written. But, as I sit here typing this, I genuinely feel incapable of expressing anything even remotely approaching what I just experienced in watching this.

I rated it a '9' which is extremely rare for me and speaks for itself.

If you like the band (as it was, is, or will be...) then that speaks for itself.

And, I WILL say that if you watch this and you come to the moment where Fripp is telling about his meeting with the man who led a certain retreat, well... let's just say that unless you do not have a pulse, you will find it quite unique and unexpected...

Obviously, most highly recommended...

I knew nothing about Crimson King.

I had listened to a little bit of their music and it told me nothing, so I never paid any more attention.

After watching this film, I can proudly say I know very little about the facts, names, impact, etc of the band.

I feel I know what drives the band, what they are trying to do, what cost it comes at, and even maybe what they get out of it.

And I quite like that was the take of the film. I can learn all the data in Wikipedia if I'm so inclined; I can listen to their recordings any time I want; this film fills a different gap.

I'm still not keen on what they create and how they dress it up. But it doesn't matter. This is not a film for fans, it's a film for people who care about a craft whichever that craft might be.

Leave your expectations at the door and go in with an open mind. If you are not already a fan of the band, King Crimson, then this should be easy enough. If you are and you don't already know that this is how to approach their work then I'm not sure what to say. Some interesting "totally missed the point" reviews here. I will say no more about that.

If you want a typical rock-doc about this album, that album, this producer, that sound engineer, this tour, that break-up, go elsewhere. It's already out there. Start with youtube. If you want someone to reassure you overtly that the band you love is the best, or that Robert Fripp is a compositional genius who does not suffer fools glady, go elsewhere. We already know these things.

If you want a truly fascinating, touching, illuminating, baffling, sad, funny, moving and deep dive into the mind of the true artist, artists who put music above all else, and not without personal cost, then go see this movie. Rent it, buy, it, badger your local art-house cinema to arrange a showing. Bring your friends. The smart ones.

This is not glitzy, it is not glamourous, but it is candid and honest. The shooting style is minimally invasive, totally immersive stuff - you know, like when wildlife biologists go camp out with gorillas for months on end until the gorillas start to ignore them and carry on with life as normal. Amies is literally shooting from the hip most of the time here and also asking all the dumb questions (and sometimes bearing the brunt of the fallout for doing so) on the viewer's behalf.

This is a diamond in the rough. It is about music, not showbiz. It is about the transcendent places great music can take you, the dedication and diligence of artists bearing the weight of trying to achieve those heights on a nightly basis for the audience. It is about people. Extraordinary people.

Reading the reviews I realised that many people who saw this expected it to be your typical film of the bands history, it's ups and lows and tales from the road. If that's what you're looking for, this isn't for you.

If you want to see what it means to be fully committed to your art and vision, you're going to love it. It's hard to watch sometimes and it makes you wonder is this all necessary, it makes you angry at some people and it makes you feel sorry for some. There's also rare kind of beauty in it.

If you already know the bands history and the central members of it but you want to get inside the band, this is for you. If you expect it to be something else, it'll be a letdown.