The first question is: does this hybrid documentary/concert film turn one’s mind around on two of the least appealing blokes in Rock and Roll? With a partially affirmative answer, we are off to the races. Back in the early nineties it was hard to miss the impact of Oasis. Their anthemic songs blared out of almost every radio, and bands covering their songs in pubs only added to the cacophony.
The music press (and large numbers of conventional media outlets) were awash with tales of their bad boy behaviour and outsized use of alcohol and nose candy. Their tours were shambolic to say the least, and it was a crap shoot to find the brothers playing on stage or just fighting. When the wheels well and truly fell off the wagon and the band broke up, it didn’t really surprise anyone. That they stayed apart for fifteen years did.
The eventual reconciliation, when it occurred, made for the perfect storm to film the proceedings and turn it into a feature-length film, and now we have Don’t Look Back in Anger in cinemas. The film’s structure starts with the band (minus their lead singer) in a very large rehearsal space working out the songs and set list. When Noel finally arrives, he presents an ominous and negative presence. By the time the new concert footage begins, a change becomes very apparent.
It is not surprising that someone finally put together a tour offer so lucrative that it was accepted, but the revelation that actually occurs is how much passion it created with the modern audience. The scenes of fans driven to tears are plentiful and not just from an English speaking audience. This adulation forms the backbone of the film. The interviews and voice over behind a lot of the scenes also highlight the cooling of animosities between the two brothers. This transition makes this work hopeful. I’ll end with this Gallagher quote that puts things in perspective. “If you’re going to be a c*nt be a funny c*nt.”
Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/DisneyAUNZ/
