Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him?) (2010)

This documentary shows Nilsson had a great deal of love in his life. The women whom he loved seem warm and wonderful, and his children to be likable people.It is not the fault of the subjects that this documentary disappoints; It is solely the responsibility of the film maker (s).The questions reveal that the documentary makers have not approached the subject with an open mind ( Nowhere is this more apparent than when Nilsson's 3rd wife,Una, speaks about his crusade for gun control.) and instead feel they need to create, or inject, a synthetic story arc. Whilst so doing, they poor scorn on Harry's attempt to fight the violence of hand guns by editing the answers given to suit their own narrative.The film is itself, as it supposes of much of Nilsson's life, a missed opportunity.

I saw this via Netflix streaming video on my Wii.I always enjoyed Harry Nilsson's music but frankly knew nothing about him. As I was searching for things to watch on Netflix I came across this title.Here is a story, a true one at that, of a man born with a wonderful voice and a very playful, creative spirit for song-writing. A sort of a flawed Paul McCartney. Nilsson was very successful early, but his self-destructive ways caused a multitude of problems for him, and many around him, during his last 20 or so years. A time during which he almost completely destroyed his voice from alcohol, drugs, partying, and abusing his vocal cords. Still he became a loving husband and father, the third time around. He died young of a heart attack.This film has a lot of informal footage of Nilsson himself during various stages of his life, including some shot during recording sessions. Plus many interviews with his wives, his children, and the lawyers, composers, producers, and musicians who were part of his professional life.Interesting artist, and his music will live for a long time.

I was lucky enough to have seen this film at it's Seattle Film Fest screening, and was blown away by how great it was. This is without a doubt one of the best music documentaries I've ever seen, (and I've seen a lot!) This is a loving look back at the life and times, music and relationships of one of music's true legends. Harry Nilsson deserves to be up there with the likes of Gershwin, Cole Porter, and all the other great song writers of 20th century standards. He was considered a peer by all four members of the Beatles, who all called him a 5th Beatle, and one the same wavelength as themselves.Harry refused to tour, so many today don't remember him, and those born after his heyday, are unaware of who he was. This is tragic. Everyone should have the opportunity to be exposed to this wonderful talent. This film is a step in the right direction, to finally give the man his due. Unfortunately, the film has yet to have wide distribution, or even a DVD so for the time being, good luck in getting to see it.If you are someone with the power to put together a DVD distribution deal, PLEASE contact the film makers. This film needs to be available. Hey VH-1, how about screening it on air, then maybe putting it out on DVD? Harry Nilsson deserves nothing less.

I saw this movie in Santa Monica on Aug. 23 and it has stayed with me. I want to thank the filmmakers for digging into the details of Harry's enigmatic, eccentric, life. And also for showing the flaws and failings of Nilsson the man. Thanks for showing the good and bad, the ups and downs, and for uncovering that amazing BBC footage. The film is also a great showcase of a vast amount of Nilsson's music, really well placed throughout the film. I recommend this movie to anyone who likes good documentaries, especially if you are interested in Harry Nilsson or the music scene of the early 70's. Some reviewer at the Ain't It Cool website wrote that this was the best movie movie they saw at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, and I believe it. The film is informative, funny, sad, touching, and full of awesome music. It succeeds on all levels. Really, really good.