One Direction: This is Us
The movie review this issue is a little different. We reviewed the 3D movie about the band One Direction. Because the band has many young fans, instead of the whole family going I instead went to the movie with my daughter and one of her friends from school.
Before we even went to the theatre, the two young ladies were thrilled! They talked about going to see the movie for two days beforehand. Once we were actually in the car, they spent the drive listening to songs by One Direction and other, similar bands. To them, it wasn’t just going to a movie: it was more like going to a concert. Pretty appropriate, since the movie is about a concert tour
and the band members’ journey from middle class to riches.
Mixed with concert footage and interviews, the movie shows the five young boys getting their start, rising to fame through social media, and becoming a full-fledged traveling band. Just teens when they began, now three years later they range in age from 19 to 21.
If you like concert movies, or “popumentaries”, if you will, then you will likely enjoy One Direction: This Is Us. Footage is clear and crisp 3D, good sound quality, and story line interesting. The five boys in the band come across as normal, quirky teens. Some of the goofy behavior they exhibit reminds me of our teen son and his high-spirited friends — full of beans, my parents would have said!
As a parent, I was sad to see these very young men pushed so hard. I wonder: Is the music industry such a money-oriented machine that schedules cannot be designed to include appropriate amounts of relaxation, family time, sleep, homework, and days-off between concerts? All five boys exhibited a strong work ethic, but can it be maintained long-term? I’d hate to see these seemingly normal “kids” end up in the tabloids like so many other young performers.
Anyway, let me get back to the actual reviewing of the movie. The two young ladies I brought with me really liked it. I heard phrases like “the best movie I’ve ever seen in my entire life” — which probably reflects their fan status rather than actual cinematography! For any band fan, this should be a treat. The movie was 95 minutes long, and the girls would not have minded if it were twice that long.
I liked it too. I’m not much for concert films, but it was well done and interesting. And I learned enough about this band to understand what my daughter and her friends are talking about, and to appreciate the clean lyrics offered by One Direction songs.
Issue date: Sept 13–26, 2013
