Muse: Under Review
starring Muse
Sexy Intellectual
Muse has always been a band that I have been curious about. Their music is great, but I always got the impression that they were pompous a-holes in person. So when Muse: Under Review came out, I was stoked. Finally, I could get past my wavering and figure out whether I love the group or hate them. After watching this, I still don’t know. That’s because this documentary is not authorized by the band, their record company, or their management. And it shows.
As I watched the two-hour-and-16-minute journey, I got an increasing feeling that this was a Behind the Music for people who subscribe to National Enquirer. While the facts were there (and their rise to fame was actually quite interesting), the people that they interviewed interjected what they though the band, or certain members of the band, were thinking and/or feeling. It brought a really gossipy feel to a documentary that could have been really good.
There is rare early performance and interview footage as well as other rarely-seen photos and news reports that would make die-hard Muse fans wet themselves. But it’s the interviews with previous collaborators – a former manager, band engineer, and video director – and none with the band or anyone that they are currently working with that makes this seem less like a legit documentary and more like a way for someone to capitalize on the popularity of the band.
If you are a fan of Muse, then most of what is on this DVD you probably already know. If you want to know more about the band, then go to the band’s homepage. Regardless, stay away from this “documentary.”
Chrome Dreams: http://www.chromedreams.co.uk
