By Donna Mair

Last night I attended an advanced screening of the new U23D movie at my local IMAX theatre. Someone in charge of promotions had put the call out to local indie bands to come experience U23D, not only for free, but some days ahead of the general public. Although it was free, and an advanced screening, although it was aired on Martin Luther King day,the affair was so low key as to sadly be a non-event. The theatre was more than half empty. The only recognizable media other then DLTSP were a reporter from the local paper, and one of Vancouver’s best loved daytime disc jockeys.

Prior to the start of the movie, an IMAX representative spoke to the audience in hushed tones, advising us of the obligatory “please turn off your cell phones, no audio or visual recording equipment allowed, and please no speaking during the show”. She also mentioned that if we felt motion sick from watching a ‘Bono the size of a real humpback
whale’ to simply look away for a few moments.

The concert started with Vertigo and ended with Yahweh, and the set list in between would be nothing new to any die hard U2 fan that has followed the Vertigo tour in 2005 – 2006. However, the 3D experience lent itself to some amazing new experiences that even being on the rail at a U2 concert would not afford you.

As Vertigo begins, the camera actually picks up the details behind the slots in the massive video screen behind the band, and you are able to glimpse rigging, concrete walls and even a person scurrying past.

The camera work in this movie is slick, smooth and controlled; granted, much of it is done remotely by suspended aerial cameras (which you get glimpses of in some shots), but even the hand held shots don’t leave you feeling like you’re on an amusement park ride like so many music videos do these days.

Part way into Vertigo you are suddenly given a bird’s eye view of Larry Mullen Jr behind the drum kit and oh my! It was at this point I fully realized that it really is 3 dimensional. You literally feel as if you are standing right above the drum kit and the experience is not like watching a flat movie, but being right beside someone who is sweating and moving and creating air flow.

As a wanna-be drummer, these first shots were icing on the cake – most U2 videos out there (whether fan bootlegs or official) never seem to highlight the man behind the skins. And for all those journalists who continually ask Larry why he looks like he’s ‘drinking piss’ when he drums, and for any fan past or future who have an inkling to hold up a ’smile Larry’ sign – I have ‘two words for you’.Once you watch the man in action for yourself (as
you’ve never seen him) you’ll have a new appreciation for his concentration level and his skill at keeping it all together.

There are many such gems in this movie, too numerous to list them all. One thing that did stand out for me though, was how close to the action you always felt. Sometimes there were people in front of you from the filmed audience and you really felt as if they were blocking your view, sometimes you were right beside the boys and on stage with them. I had the good fortune to attend the concert in Portland in December 2005 where myself and 15 of my closest friends were front row. Close enough to lean over and tie The Edge’s shoe laces together if not for security. Close enough to hear Edge harmonize with Bono for the first time ever. But.. this movie gets you closer. And in such a way that I felt able to sit
back and notice details that I would definitely miss in a live show setting: things like seeing the band’s water bottles on speakers behind them, seeing Edge’s guitar tech pull a cord straight so Edge wouldn’t trip on it, seeing all four of the band members together on one screen in living 3 dimensions even though two of them were out on the ramps in the
audience. (the joys of technology).

At one point during Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bono is in the foreground, reaches out with his hand and gestures. If you sit in the right seat (which I did, by chance) and if you have the nerve to put your own hand out – I swear you would connect. At this same point, he stares into the camera for the first time, and you really do feel as if you are looking
each other in the eyes. It was a bit disconcerting actually.

There is another point at which Bono reaches out and touches the screen in front of you, and ‘draws’ on the screen. Through the wizardry of film, you can see him draw a triangle and a dial and then turn it. It was a pretty cool effect and added to the song.

There were disappointments for me too though. more on a personal level and more so if I consider this a concert instead of a movie. Even though you’re the closest you will ever be to the action, it cant take the place of a concert experience. I missed the crush of bodies around me, the smell of the night air mixed with sweat and smoke from the show.
I missed Bono’s personal interaction with the audience – he didn’t pull anyone on stage to dance, didn’t shake any fan’s hands as he walked the ramp, didn’t stop singing to do much dialogue. Some would say that’s a good thing, but I missed it.

I also missed his One campaign speech. He spoke of poverty and being ONE, but the cell phones came out and there was no directive to call the One campaign or mention of Africa. He did not wear his usual Africa target t-shirt for this segment of the show, and although  I can see the reasoning for not ‘preaching’ during a movie/concert experience, for many including myself, this was a highlight of each concert.

The other disappointment I had was that the band didn’t end with their usual song – 40. Again, unless you are a diehard fan, I don’t think you’d notice but I would have liked to see the audience go out singing ‘How long’.

As a concert experience, it was above average – I’d give it an 8/10. As a movie however,  it was spectacular and I’d give it a 10/10, recommend it to anyone who’s ever liked U2, wondered what U2 is all about or had an inkling to go to a U2 show and never followed through. I’d also go see it again, this time with a room full of U2 fans and fanatics so we
could sing along at the good parts and generally act like we were at a concert and not a movie.

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January 22nd, 2008   |   Tags: Media, Movies, TV   |   Comments: