METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2004 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ***
With the help of their half-a-million-dollars-a-year therapist, the members of the legendary rock group Metallica get in touch with their inner demons in order to produce a killer album. The documentary METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER, a must-see for Metallica fans, chronicles the group's comeback from a multi-year creative abyss into the production of a CD that becomes another monster hit for them.
A band once called "Alcoholica" in ridicule of their "hard-partying ways," it is now made up of guys who guzzle bottled water like it's, well, water and take time off to play with their kids. Even if you didn't know that the group has sold over ninety million albums since it was formed two decades ago and even if you've never knowingly listened to their music -- both statements would describe me perfectly -- you'll find the film fun and fascinating nonetheless.
The movie is composed of intertwined group therapy encounters, jam sessions and archival footage. Phil Towle is the therapist who tries to soothe and inspire the group's massive egos, most especially the battle of wills between band members Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield. To be fair, most of Lars and James's anger appears to have occurred in the past and the arguments frequently dissolve into rehashes of old ego clashes when they were both younger and drunker. Not long after the start of the documentary, James goes off for a long stay at a rehab clinic for his alcoholism. When he returns, his doctor only allows him to work four hours a day, which causes noticeable friction in the band.
Although frequently funny, the movie ultimately works or not based on the music. And, even for non-fans, the music turns out to be quite inviting and invigorating.
METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER runs unnecessarily long at 2:20. It is not rated but would be an R for language and very brief nudity and would be acceptable for teenagers.
The film, which played at Sundance and various other film festivals, opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, July 16, 2004. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the Camera Cinemas.
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