Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)

You won't be disappointed!

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Great documentary on the most unsung heroes of music. As is mentioned in the movie, and anywhere you see them mentioned, The Funk Brothers played on more Number 1 singles than the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys and Elvis Presley combined. Yet hardly anyone has heard of them. I certainly hadn't, and my musical knowledge is pretty good. (Though, admittedly, I do lean more towards rock than soul).This documentary examines the history of the Funk Brothers, and also has some made-for-the-movie performances by them, complete with vocals by luminaries such as Ben Harper, Bootsy Collins, Joan Collins, Chaka Khan.The documentary part is well done, covering all the important aspects of their history, as well as interviewing the surviving members. Musical performances are great.A must-see for a Motown fan, or anyone interested in the history of music.

I came close to giving this film a saggy review because I was left feeling unsatisfied. Then I reluctantly popped in Disc 2 to see the extras, and wow! That's the stuff I was waiting for."Standing in the Shadows of Motown" (the feature film) is a broad overview of the Detroit phenomenon known as The Funk Brothers whose music has touched every human life on this planet. The documentary is well-produced and polished, but it misses some of the details that we might hunger for.What challenges or tragedies did these people face? How did the group deal with certain members' substance abuse, depression, mania? What sort of camaraderie did they have? Any racial tensions? What makes their individual styles unique? Who is still alive today? How did so-and-so die?Few, if any, of these questions are answered in the feature film. In fact some of these issues were conspicuously avoided (and scenes deleted) almost as if the film producers decided to keep it cheerful & breezy instead of giving us the whole truth. The overriding theme of this film is that the Motown groove makes people happy, so it does make sense that they would cut out the sadder/tragic elements."Standing in the Shadows of Motown" takes the format of a collection of reminiscences, like browsing through an old photo album with friends. Interviews are garnished with old images, footage, and some re-created scenes with actors. Intermittantly we cut to the reunion concert for a song featuring well known contemporary singers. The feature film is oozing with feel-good nostalgia, mentioning only as footnotes how certain individuals were "tortured artists" or "battled with addiction". There was at least one powerful buildup to a tragic death, completely sidestepped to the point that I had to pause the movie and google how so-and-so died.Disc 2, I'm happy to report, fills in all the blanks. I would suggest first watching the featurette "The Ones That Didn't Make It" which tells you which of the Funk Brothers survived to see the completion of the film, who died during production, and who died before ever knowing they would be immortalized in this film. It's not just a macabre desire to know who's dead that interested me, but this featurette gave me more of an intimate connection with those who didn't survive. And it made me want to re-watch their interviews & performances so I could soak in every note.Disc 2 also has some raw yet emotional footage of the gang getting back together for the first time, hugging, joking and speaking incoherently in their secret code (literally, a secret language of pig-Latin and skatting fused together). I feel like the main feature could have used these scenes to establish the love they had for each other, transcending racial & cultural differences. Instead, the main feature focuses mostly on individual interviews, instead of everyone together in the same room.But for me, and for any musician-wannabe, the feature that knocked it out of the park was the multi-angle jam sessions. With your DVD remote you can choose what instrument you want to watch during their rehearsals. You can really scrutinize their technique, their gear and their style. THAT's what this film should have focused on... not just the story of a bunch of unsung heroes, but what made them heroes? What made this bunch of guys different from any other well-trained, skilled musician? Their performances say more than anyone could ever say, and the ability for us to pick what/whom we're looking at is a real treat for those of us who want to play musical detective.In all, this is an important film that all music lovers & musicians should see. Disc 2 is fantastic. The Disc 1 feature is good but not my favorite music documentary because it didn't really dig deep or pull together a story (which Disc 2 does much better). For a great example of a music storytelling documentary, check out "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" even if you're not an 80s metal fan; it's just a great story about a bunch of lovable guys who missed their shot.As for the Funk Brothers themselves, all hail. Thank you, sirs, for making the world a shade brighter. I finish with a quote spoken by Hugh Grant in the movie "Music & Lyrics"..."You can take all the novels in the world, and not one of them will make you feel as good as fast as... (sings) 'I've got sunshine... On a cloudy day...' "

What a late, but appropriate tribute to the men behind the Motown sound. I love documentaries, and this one was particularly moving, because I grew listening to the Motown sound. I used to listen to it until I fell asleep at night (this was before we had TVs in every bedroom), and I woke up to the sound in the morning. I was even encouraged to pantomime to Motown tunes (and others) by my grandfather, who generously gave me a quarter after one of my performances, when I was 5, 6 and 7 years old. (Thank God I grew out of that phase or and my sister and cousins were very glad that it was over too.) I guess the reason I fought back the tears was because of the memories that each song they played and artist that was profiled brought back. There was nothing like that Funk Brothers beat! Those brothers need a memorial somewhere, and really should be inducted into a Hall of Fame of some sort. The Motown sound changed the sound of rhythm and blues, and the Funk Brothers were a major force behind it. A music scholarship in their name would be an appropriate tribute, as well.God bless all of you guys for doing such a great job.

The mere fact that these 13 people created so much of the best of American music in virtual anonymity is reason enough to watch this movie. But the performances of those great songs...lots of them, make it a really special movie. I think they could have found some better current singers to perform with them in the concert but even Joan Osbourne can sound good with the Funk Brothers playing behind her. Maybe that's the point of the movie. Steve Jordan said it best though when he said that Deputy Dog could have sung to their tracks and made hits. And just for the record, I was kind of proud that at least 2 of the 13 were Caucasian. :-)