The best rock documentaries achieve glory when they gaze at their
hyper-image-conscious subjects until image appears to melt away,
leaving what might be described as the illusion of a real self on the
screen. The lamest ones show just the opposite: The subjects’ real
selves are revealed through an attempt to maintain their facades for
the cameras. It Might Get Loud—a new documentary about
guitar wizards Jimmy Page, Jack White, and The Edge, and their creative
and mechanical processes—falls somewhere in between. Because the
real subject here is the instruments more than the players themselves,
you’re meant not to focus on their iconic rock-star personas. But the
egolessness of the conceit (it’s about the music, maaan) is
drenched in ego. No one plays humble quite like a multimillionaire rock
star. Or three.
Of the three, The Edge comes off best, if only because it’s always a
pleasure to hear an Irish accent. Also, the relationship between his
guitar, his effects, and his band is the most complex and interesting
in the film. The best moment comes when he taps a foot pedal to reveal
that the world of swirling sounds in his amps is a primitive stomp any
chancer could play. Page undoubtedly has the best stories, the best
clothes, the best riffs—as well as the best band. That he clearly
misses Led Zeppelin adds an unexpected layer of pathos. By contrast,
White, a major talent in real life, looks like a rank poser here. His
old-school bluesman affectations are a drag, and his grizzled aphorisms
sound disingenuous. And is that really supposed to be his inner
child?
Questions outnumber answers: Why these three? Why this film? WTF? A
doc about any of the individuals would be worth watching, and director
Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) does his best. But in
the end, it’s either the consummate vanity project, or an expensive
industrial production financed by Gibson or Fender to try to drum up
flagging sales. Either way, listening to dudes talk about guitars is
one of the acute agonies of life in and around rock-band culture. If,
however, you love it, have I got the movie for you. 
I will see this film.
Jack White’s inclusion in this is truly puzzling. I never found the White Stripes to be a ground-breaking guitar outfit, though certainly entertaining at times. He needs to play in front of a few million more fans to reach the Edge & Page level.
I suspect that either a guitar company or a management company played a role in forming this trio.
I literally laughed out loud when seeing this trailer at the theatre. However, being in the guitar effects pedal manufacturing business I am interested to see their gear…..
perhaps just downloading a copy of the film and skimming for gear porn is the ultimate solution.
on a side note, purely comparing aesthetics of the three… i gotta say Jack has the both Jimmy & Edge looking like fools….but that’s a pretty subjective topic
” Either way, listening to dudes talk about guitars is one of the acute agonies of life in and around rock-band culture. “
That and enduring singers.
@2 This is because “the kids” will have no idea who Jimmy Page is — or The Edge, for that matter. Gotta give ’em something a little more contemporary.
I’ve been looking forward to seeing this movie for a while now. But then I’m a major Zep fan and want to see more about Jimmy Page.
I loved this film. Going in I wondered why these three? Hell, I still think that. None of them are personal favorites of mine, and we’d all turn the lens on a different trio. But this collection is intriguing nonetheless.
And, @3, direct your gear fetish at The Edge’s 14,000 square foot pedal board.
This film also allowed me to enjoy Jack White as a musician. I’m a drummer (y’all know where I’m going with that preface), so I cannot listen to the White Stripes, but I like much of Jack White’s writing and sound. He has a few rough patches in the film, but he’s a great counterweight to Page’s session-musician background.
Anyway, if you’re a musician and/or a music nerd, you’ll either enjoy the film or enjoy making fun of the film and its subjects.
Hey California, Jimmy Page’s session musician background? Huh? You a big music nerd?
I think the selection of White, Page, and the Edge was perfect for this film. I don’t think that the point was to find the “best”, or most legendary guitarists of all time (although Jimmy Page certainly delivers both), but to find three opposing styles and different takes on the real star of the show: the electric guitar. With Page, you get the technically-impeccable, as-close-as-you-can-get-to-perfection style of playing. With White, you get a very raw, very under-processed, sometimes sloppy, but always soulful technique. The Edge… well I consider the Edge to be more of a “pedalist” than a guitarist (better at playing his pedals than his guitar).
I thought that each musician had something unique to bring to the table and feel that it made for an interesting dynamic. Plus, it’s pretty entertaining to see kickbacks to these guys in their early days.
jack white is the best thing going now. page used to be. and the 80s sucked so the put the edge in there. people should not judge the stripes on their singles. buy their cds. and if you dont like them check out the raconteurs or the dead weather, both great.and if you like country he produced loretta lynns cd which won best country album at the grammys.
Hey Slickg,
Jimmy Page started out as a sought after session player. Enjoy the riff on Them’s “Baby Please Don’t Go”? Yeah, you might want to be a little more of a music nerd before you make lame comments.
A rock star being vane?? wha?? Were they hypocritical at all?
Some are, like this guy in his attempt at self-deprecation that seems to somehow stroke his ego:
“Because the first record he ever made with his band Harvey Danger, sold half a million copies and launched him to momentary international notoriety, he has difficulty giving up on this pastime.”
You jealous you didn’t get interviewed for this flick? I think you may have missed its point.
Can’t wait for the fucking reunion tour.