George Harrison: Living in the Material World Reviews

To be honest, beforehand, I wasn't really sure about this movie. I mean, even though I have lots of respect for the Beatles and their legacy, I never cared about their music and I wasn't exactly thrilled by the idea of watching a 3 hour long documentary about one of those guys. On the other hand, the ratings were really good and since I'm a huge fan of Martin Scorsese, I thought I should give it a try. Eventually, I thought it was pretty good. Harrison obviously had a very rich life. The first 90 minutes were of course devoted to the Beattles during which George Harrison was often eclipsed by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. But you learn also about his solo career, his experimental drug using, his spiritual journey, his passion for car racing, his passion for gardening, the fact Eric Clapton fell in love with his wife, that he was stabbed by a mad man in his own houses, his battle against cancer and many many other things. Most of it was really interesting but I can't say I was really blow away by the whole thing. Indeed, many anecdotes were barely interesting and some elements were rather rushed out which was rather surprising when you take into consideration the extended running time. It was also interesting that Scorsese didn't show up or say anything during the whole thing. Still, even though I still don't really care about the Beatles, I thought it was an interesting documentary and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are fan of this legendary band.

I saw this movie last night and it's a breathtaking work by Scorsese. George's influence on the Beatles is shown to be greater and more profound than history has led us to believe. Early footage of the Beatles is still vibrant and exciting. He was a flawed man, but a great guy. Essential viewing for music lovers and a treat for all Beatles fans who thought there was nothing left to say about the fab four.