Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune August 20, 2004 METAL0820 An unlikely cross between D.A. Pennebaker's "Don't Look Back,"This Is Spinal Tap" and "Ordinary People," the new rockumentary "Some Kind of Monster" definitely is not just for Metallica fans.
In fact, you might like it better if you're not a fan.
From "Paradise Lost" filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, the movie follows the venerable hard-rock gods through two years' worth of sessions -- therapy and gripe sessions, that is, with a little bit of recording done in between.
The documentarians signed on to film Metallica during the recording of its less-than-stellar 2003 album, "St. Anger," which followed the departure of longtime bass player Jason Newsted. It's obvious from the start of the movie that things are awry: The creative tension is tense but not creative; frontman James Hetfield is headed for rehab, and there's a guy wearing expensive sweaters named Phil hanging around.
Metallica A therapist, second from left, helped Metallica return to rockdom. Annamaria Disanto Radical Media
Phil is Phil Towle, a high-dollar therapist-to-the-stars who leads the members back to solid-rockdom. But he does so only after two years' worth of work that -- on film, anyway -- varies between fascinating, aggravating, laughable and genuinely emotional.
Fans of the band will love the revealing footage, especially landmark moments such as bassist auditions (more famous names showed up than the one they picked) and encounters with the ex-Metallica members (Newsted and Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine).
But it's hard watching your heroes look bad on screen -- which the Metallica guys do for about the first two hours of the 139-minute film. They communicate to one another about as well as 12-year-olds. They struggle to find songwriting inspiration (when their music doesn't exactly require poetic ingenuity). They can't even argue with Ulrich's old man when he tells them a new song stinks.
Non-fans will likely find the movie too long and at times too inside-baseball, but it's easy to get into the premise: Being in a rock band is not as easy as it seems, but it also shouldn't be as hard as this particular multimillionaire rock band makes it out to be.
Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
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