Meeting People Is Easy

This is a wonderful thought provoking film. It is not easy to watch and it does not focus on gaining insight into the band in conventional ways. Instead you are more of a companion feeling the alienation and isolation that the band seems to be feeling. Because it deals with alienation in both its subject manner and how it is filmed it isn't easy to swallow. For that the film is much more affecting than other rockumentaries that merely focus on the glitz, glamour, and the roudy but slick production that goes into a major band. Perhaps people don't like to think about how all jobs have their downsides but I think the way Gee juxtaposes the sterility and monotony of the countless environments the band is faced with the human fatigue, frustration, and disconnect the band feels from the world and eachother is fascinating and affecting. The title itself sums up the film well with its ironic and perhaps sarcastic comment on the accessibility of artists with their audience. The film also offers a beautiful selection of very personal moments of the band doing their job and shows how deeply the band feels about their music, not in their talking about it, but in their playing, especially the moments outside of the concerts themselves. It shows both the pain that comes with the peculiar kind of hard work the band is faced with and the moments of happiness and excitement that are possible because of that hard work which makes it all worth it. The almost nightmare environment that the film conveys, for me, humanized these men who have been heralded by so many as music messiahs in an industry that keeps getting more slick and more scary. Stunning.

This rockumentry is not like most. It is far more honest about the rock and roll lifestyle, showing that, like anything else that pays, it is still a job. The only downside is that it will encourage people who always accuse radiohead of being depressing to continue. It has, however, got a lot to offer radiohead fans, although not so much now. The DVD contains several songs which were, or still are, unreleased. Including 'how to disappear completely' (2000), 'I will' (2003), 'life in a glasshouse' (2001), and songs which are still unreleased such as 'follow me around' and 'big boots (man-o-war)'. another downside with the dvd itself is that the whole dvd is just one scene. however, this is a definate must for radiohead fans.

This highly cinematic documentary forces one to rethink the way s/he may think of life as a "rock star". Radiohead's unique stardom is portrayed in a dark and highly neurotic light. The pains of dealing with an incessant press, constant live performances, and travel around the nation bear down on these five men and produce tension that borders on nervous breakdown. When watching this film, the intense style transports this tension to the viewer, making it difficult to watch. But it adds insight to the band that has changed Rock music forever, and lets one understand better exactly what they are doing and going through. Well worth the headache and depression experienced afterwards. Meeting people is truly not easy.

I'm not going to tell you that if you don't know who RadioHead are, or if you don't like them, that you should watch this. If I weren't a fan (or if I lived so deep inside a cave I'd never heard of them), I would have gone crazy trying to wrap my head around this movie.

However, since I am a huge fan, I absolutely loved this video. Artfully done, it has more crammed into it than I would have thought possible. The Irony, the Agony, the Frustration, the Fans, the Good Times, the (never-ending) Interviews; and of course the vicarious thrill you get from this rare look into the real back-stage life of a serious rock-n-roll band.

This is not an up-lifting film. It makes you glad you never seriously pursued a career in the popular music industry.

Grant Gee, following Radiohead around with cameras during their international tour to promote OK Computer, does not do much that has not already been done in like documentaries of popular musical artists. But what he does is remarkably involving, despite the fact that the audience will most likely be limited to fans of the group and people interested in non-fiction filmmaking. Meeting People Is Easy recaptures all the trappings of rock superstardom: fawning groupies, jealous journalists, relentless photo shoots, sterile airports, lonely hotel rooms, and above all, the horror of performing once exciting songs over and over, night after night. Gee's greatest strength, however, lies in the editing, as sound and vision constantly overlap and compete. Texts of many of the glowing (even raving) critical responses to OK Computer periodically scroll up or glide across the screen, making a not inconsiderable effort to explain how a galvanized media community can seemingly alter the destinies of a handful of young men who just enjoyed making music. The embrace, Gee seems to suggest, brings fame and fortune -- but also a unique kind of pressure that undeniably alters the world-view of the artists, thereby affecting all future recordings (lead singer Thom Yorke has a number of bitter musings on this very subject). At times self-indulgent, Meeting People Is Easy is more often engaging and hypnotic -- a film that reaches just a bit beyond its immediate milieu to explore a meaningful idea or two.