Live Forever: The Rise and Fall of Brit Pop Reviews

The best moments in John Dower's Live Forever happen because he was able to conduct fairly revealing interviews with four of that scene's most important musical figures. Noel Gallagher, sitting in a chair that makes him appear to be the king of Britpop, Liam Gallagher, Blur's Damon Albarn, and Pulp's Jarvis Cocker each reveal (some with greater self-awareness than the others) what made their respective bands and the times they lived in special. Noel's remarkable ego complements Liam's feral intensity. They provide the funniest moments in the film. Albarn, still obviously bruised by his band's feud with Oasis, seems genuinely haunted by those heady years. And Cocker brings the same tone of theatrical resignation to his sessions in front of the camera as he does to his brilliantly orchestrated stage performances. It is easy to tell from these interviews, and from the archival footage of the various bands, why this music marked a generation of Brits so deeply. The various journalists interviewed throughout the piece provide the necessary cultural and political context, but it is the artists themselves who make this a compelling documentary even for those unfamiliar with the scene. While one could argue that the history is not as inclusive as it could be (there is very little mention of Suede or Elastica -- probably because members of those bands would not agree to be interviewed), Live Forever succeeds in explaining how the right bands came along at the right time.