People are voting emotionally.

Dreadfully Boring

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

I watched a special screening of this film (so I had no exposure yet to all the extras on the DVD itself). When the credits ended I had to stay seated for a few minutes just to absorb the energy and feelings I had.If you're already familiar with Lydia Loveless, the live music alone is worth the cost of admission ("More Like Them" gives me chills every time I hear it). If you're NOT familiar with Lydia - or you are but only in a small way - you will learn so much about her, and the band. But this documentary is SO much more than that.It's a study of the way a "family" of five band members holds things together while maintaining individual identities.It's a lesson in the economics of music, and the differences between being a "star" and being an artist and a critics favorite and making enough money to live.It's a beautiful peek into the process of how pages of scribbled lyrics becomes a song, and then a different song, and then a completely different song...and then in the studio it takes shape into a work of art.It's a diary of how Lydia Loveless has grown from a teenager just wanting to please everyone to a woman who has learned allowing input and ideas from her band is not a criticism of her craft.Gorman Bechard has done some great work in the past, but this is the finest documentary he has ever filmed. The interviews are relaxed and off-the-cuff while maintaining honesty. You're really just watching conversations, not self-aware canned answers to obvious questions. The live music is as powerful as if you were standing in the audience. And like all great documentaries, so much of what you learn is simply shown to you instead of spoken. The film is an experience, not a lecture or a history lesson.Lydia Loveless is an amazingly talented person, and the Patron Saint of the Socially Awkward. When I wasn't feeling my heart pulled out I was laughing hard and loud. And sometimes I was doing both.I've ordered a copy for myself plus copies for gifts. I've already seen the film, and I'm still counting the days until the DVD is released. That's not just because of the long list of extra material I want to enjoy. It's mainly because I desperately want to watch this again.Buy this film. Watch this film. Love this film. And when you play it, play it LOUD.Update: Now that I have the DVD in-hand, I can also say the extras are tremendous. After you've watched the movie, make sure you enjoy the commentary track between Gorman and Lydia, as well as all the other bonus material. Too often the bonus features are ignored by the casual viewer. Don't make that mistake!

The documentary answers the question as we meet this young and interesting singer. We are exposed to the highs and lows of life on the road and the complexity of her personality. I enjoyed seeing the creative process unfold combined with angst that usually goes, but rarely seen, among creative people. I hadn't a clue who she was prior to seeing this film at the Boston International Film Festival; now i know and i suspect that we will see more of her. The film makers take us on a brilliant visual trip that lets us enter the world of these brilliant musicians.

The title of the movie Who Is Lydia Loveless? will lead you to believe that this movie is mostly about Lydia and her life and career. She is the subject of it but the beauty of it is how well Gorman Bechard builds what is going on around Lydia's world. Her band members are like her family and this shown very well throughout the film. It takes you through the recording and songwriting process which has become a more collaborative effort over the years the more she has learned to trust her band. The interviews Gorman does with her show her shy side, her awkward side, and her fun side. You can tell she is not completely comfortable in front of the camera and would rather be singing but what comes across as does with her songs is how truthful she is as an artist. She is beyond caring around being put in a category or a label, she just wants to make good music and it all shows in her performance and in the recording studio. The live performances are dropped in the film perfectly and really display what her band is all about. Pure energy, raw rock n roll, and a lot of talent. The movie is just under two hours but flies by like it was twenty minutes. Lydia is not a household name but this is a movie I would recommend to anyone interested in music documentaries even if you had never heard of her, it was that entertaining. I think you will walk away a fan of Lydia Loveless and a fan of Gorman Bechard if you are not already one. GO SEE THIS FILM!!

I absolutely loved this documentary of Lydia Loveless, which I saw at an Chicago film festival.Loveless' music is pretty well known among fans of Alt-Country/Americana rock, but aside from her reputation for solidly written songs and frequently messy but very enjoyable shows, I don't think there's been as deep a dive into what makes her tick as this film provides.Intimidating and adorable all at once, Loveless comes across as ridiculously smart, which I don't think I'd know unless I saw the film. Her lyrics are very clever, and this film does a fantastic job of showing the viewer from which parts of her personal history that cleverness comes from.There are tons of well-shot and exciting performances throughout the film, and without giving away too much, the film nears it's close documenting a performance of Loveless' "Boy Crazy" that is completely intense, surprising, and enthralling. I've watched a zillion rock docs, and this particular song performance is one of the most compelling 7 or 8 minutes I've seen in such a film.Can't wait for this one to become available online or DVD so I can share with friends.