THE BEE GEES: HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART
*****
Director: Frank Marshall
Screenwriter: Mark Monroe
Principal cast:
Barry Gibb
Robin Gibb
Maurice Gibb
Andy Gibb
Noel Gallagher
Justin Timberlake
Country: USA
Classification: M
Runtime: 111 mins.
Australian release date: 3 December 2020.
The question should be asked, why is there no question mark in the title of Frank Marshall’s fabulous documentary The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart. It must be because, by the end of the film, there are, in fact, no questions left unasked or unanswered, as the story is told frankly and honestly, warts and all. And what a story it is! Barry Gibb, the only surviving member of the band that he and his twin brothers Robin and Maurice formed, looks back on a rollercoaster career that the group fought hard for and ended up fighting over. Whether you were/are into the Bee Gees or not, this doc will remind you just what an extraordinary career/s they had. Over a couple of incarnations, the brothers penned more than 1,000 songs, were responsible for 20 number one hits and sold more than 220 million records. There are very few groups who can lay claim to those kinds of figures - they are part of a very exclusive club.
The lads emigrated with their parents from Manchester to Queensland, Australia, in 1958 and after some success in their adopted country, returned to the UK in 1967 at the height of the ‘Swinging ‘60s’. The competition was stiff as many bands were being signed up by labels wanting to cash in on ‘Beatlemania’; through the visionary talent of Australian producer Robert Stigwood, however, who fell in love with their lyrics after listening to a tape recording, The Bee Gees broke into the UK charts after only five months. This led to a string of hits and tours of the USA and Europe before rivalry between Robin and Barry caused the break-up of the band in 1969, the first of many splits over the years. They reformed in 1971 but by 1974 they were reduced to playing small clubs in the north of England. They needed a change of direction and, on the advice of Eric Clapton, the boys moved to Miami in 1975, where they re-launched their career, with a new sound (Barry singing falsetto) and a new album. Now they became known as the kings of disco, a period that peaked with their incredibly popular soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever in 1979. Even this success, though, wasn’t to be the end of the ups and downs of The Bee Gees.
Gibb makes no bones about the fact that he still mourns the loss of his brothers, including his younger sibling, Andy, whose musical career was short-lived. Barry went on to launch a solo career and performed with artists including Barbara Streisand and Celine Dion and he also wrote lyrics for Dionne Warwick, Kenny Rogers and many more. In the many on-screen interviews, the likes of Chris Martin, Noel Gallagher and Eric Clapton all acknowledge the incredible talent and beautiful harmonies executed by the band. These artists all talk with reverence and admiration of the trio and their talents, acknowledging that the extraordinary interconnection of their voices had a lot to do with the fact that they were brothers.
The Bee Gees: How Do You Mend A Broken Heart is a truly fascinating and occasionally emotional experience that you don’t have to be a fully-fledged fan to appreciate. It confirms the notion that musical talent is a unique gift and one that is often not recognised at the time - tastes change, fashions dictate and humans are fickle. In piecing together the information, the screenwriter, Mark Monroe, has left no stone unturned; he has succeeded in bringing to the screen a fitting homage to a band that fully deserves its place as one of the greatest pop groups in musical history.
Screenwriter: Mark Monroe
Principal cast:
Barry Gibb
Robin Gibb
Maurice Gibb
Andy Gibb
Noel Gallagher
Justin Timberlake
Country: USA
Classification: M
Runtime: 111 mins.
Australian release date: 3 December 2020.
The question should be asked, why is there no question mark in the title of Frank Marshall’s fabulous documentary The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart. It must be because, by the end of the film, there are, in fact, no questions left unasked or unanswered, as the story is told frankly and honestly, warts and all. And what a story it is! Barry Gibb, the only surviving member of the band that he and his twin brothers Robin and Maurice formed, looks back on a rollercoaster career that the group fought hard for and ended up fighting over. Whether you were/are into the Bee Gees or not, this doc will remind you just what an extraordinary career/s they had. Over a couple of incarnations, the brothers penned more than 1,000 songs, were responsible for 20 number one hits and sold more than 220 million records. There are very few groups who can lay claim to those kinds of figures - they are part of a very exclusive club.
The lads emigrated with their parents from Manchester to Queensland, Australia, in 1958 and after some success in their adopted country, returned to the UK in 1967 at the height of the ‘Swinging ‘60s’. The competition was stiff as many bands were being signed up by labels wanting to cash in on ‘Beatlemania’; through the visionary talent of Australian producer Robert Stigwood, however, who fell in love with their lyrics after listening to a tape recording, The Bee Gees broke into the UK charts after only five months. This led to a string of hits and tours of the USA and Europe before rivalry between Robin and Barry caused the break-up of the band in 1969, the first of many splits over the years. They reformed in 1971 but by 1974 they were reduced to playing small clubs in the north of England. They needed a change of direction and, on the advice of Eric Clapton, the boys moved to Miami in 1975, where they re-launched their career, with a new sound (Barry singing falsetto) and a new album. Now they became known as the kings of disco, a period that peaked with their incredibly popular soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever in 1979. Even this success, though, wasn’t to be the end of the ups and downs of The Bee Gees.
Gibb makes no bones about the fact that he still mourns the loss of his brothers, including his younger sibling, Andy, whose musical career was short-lived. Barry went on to launch a solo career and performed with artists including Barbara Streisand and Celine Dion and he also wrote lyrics for Dionne Warwick, Kenny Rogers and many more. In the many on-screen interviews, the likes of Chris Martin, Noel Gallagher and Eric Clapton all acknowledge the incredible talent and beautiful harmonies executed by the band. These artists all talk with reverence and admiration of the trio and their talents, acknowledging that the extraordinary interconnection of their voices had a lot to do with the fact that they were brothers.
The Bee Gees: How Do You Mend A Broken Heart is a truly fascinating and occasionally emotional experience that you don’t have to be a fully-fledged fan to appreciate. It confirms the notion that musical talent is a unique gift and one that is often not recognised at the time - tastes change, fashions dictate and humans are fickle. In piecing together the information, the screenwriter, Mark Monroe, has left no stone unturned; he has succeeded in bringing to the screen a fitting homage to a band that fully deserves its place as one of the greatest pop groups in musical history.