It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

This documentary is part making of THE BLACK ALBUM and part his retirement concert in Madison Square Guarden intertwined with each other.Throughout the documentary there is constant talk of Jay-Z's retirement with fans and friends talking about how they can't believe the Jigga man is retiring.But of course that all turned out to be nothing more than a publicity stunt because 2 years later he released a new album and have made countless albums since.So it definitely loses it's value from that fact, although tbh I and many others never believed him when he said he was retiring and there are enough good performances and insight on the making of the album that it makes worth watching regardless (if you're a fan).Even if Jay-Z's performance on MTV's UNPLUGGED was a lot better though.So yeah nothing amazing, and the retirement was just another hustle for Hov to put on his resumé and as he said 'you can't knock the hustle' so I guess we can't knock it too hard, and it's a hard knock life after all so knock knock on.

Here are my credentials for reviewing the documentary about Jay-Z's 'farewell' performance in Madison Square Garden. Talk about 'square': I am a student of language and literature (Ph.D. in English) and trained in rapid talking (licensed auctioneer), but I cannot repeat to you more than a half dozen words from this energetic and positive look at one of rap's icons. His glossing of 'idiosyncrasy' for the audience was both a kindness and a put down but at least understandable. Although I saw Eminem's early Detroit life in '8 Mile' and connected with Metallica's challenges in 'Metallica: Some Kind of Monster,' because of my inexperience with Jay-Z's music, I could not get past my ear's inability to hear the lyrics or even the dressing room and studio talk, a slight testimony to Bill Cosby's warnings about language. Yet, virtually everyone at that November 2003 concert knew every word of his songs. I am in the minority on this one.Anyway, about a well-structured film I already have some idea. 'Fade to Black' is a faithful rendering of the excitement and beat of the Garden show. With the likes of girl friend Beyonce (whose scantily-clad, lip-syncing performance of 'Crazy in Love' is worth the admission price), Mary J. Blige, and R. Kelly (before the rift) joining Jay-Z, the film relays the energy and synergy of performers who speak to countless hip-hop fans. It is also as good a billboard for his platinum-selling "Black Album" as he could get. Therefore, because so much of the documentary is dedicated to the performance, little is allowed for getting to know the rapper and how he creates. That he does not write down his machine-gun lyrics is a rare insight (In '8 Mile' I loved the exhilaration of seeing and hearing young people fight with 'vocabulary' rather than guns); that he cares about how his words effect his fans is sweet; what he does to shape the 'tracks' into pop gold as he listens to them in the studio is never satisfactorily explained (and surely the most boring part of the film). 'Metallica,' for instance, has an accurate rendering of the rock group's long struggle to create its latest album. Perhaps an exploration of Jay-Z's 'Hard Knock Life' would have better taught us about this post-gangsta powerhouse. A documentary should teach; 'Fade' mostly shows. Or maybe that's all there is.As even I know, he reneged on the 'farewell,' remarkable because his other businesses such as his 'Roc-a-fella' recording label and clothing line could have kept him busy for a lifetime. I suspect music is much better for his forsaking retirement.Like the opening and closing aerial shots of New York at night, we are too far away to get close to understanding the performer. Like the city, he dazzles and eludes.

Concert films by definition are boring. After 30 minutes you always start looking at your watch. Fade to Black somehow stays fresh for almost two hours. Although the film is far from perfect it is swollen personality and charisma. At points, it's down right hilarious. It breathes life into an almost dead genre of film. I like the way it hops back and fourth between the legendary concert and now historic Black Album studio sessions. Also, I've never heard a concert film sound that good ever! I thought my face was going to melt once Jay-Z took the stage. Fade to Black rewrites the definition of concert film and as time goes on will eventually be called a classic.

if you're not a fan of hip hop, or can't see it as an art form this movie should change that for you. the conception of the black album and concert are documented to perfection. i will say that this movie is for fans, and there are things (ie his "rainman" ability to write songs) that will not translate well to people who aren't seriously into music. the movie will surely be judged as a concert film and not as the documentary that it is. fans of jay-z/hip hop will love it and will be able to respect what it takes for a hip hop show to sell out the garden in an hour. muchless, deliver one of the greatest performances in recent memory. overall an excellent documentary!