Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Tyreece Hulme One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

Jemima It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Lugo1989 I believe that every fan of The White Stripes and music in general will appreciate this documentary. It offers an in-depth look of the band on their tour of Canada, capturing great live performances as well as interesting interviews.This film is perfectly shot, the combination of black and white and color footage was great, the tempo is perfect and it is emotionally charged as well. If you are a true fan of the band you will already know most of the things talked about in interviews, but if you are not, I am sure you will still be interested to hear how Jack and Meg approach their music, what inspires it, how they work on stage because it seems quite different from the approach of many other musicians. Jack White is definitely one of the most original and inventive musicians of his generation and listening to him being interviewed is always a treat.I might sound a bit overexcited but this truly is a beautiful documentary about two interesting, grounded, real and beautiful people. Unfortunately I never had a chance to see The White Stripes play live so seeing this meant even more. All you music lovers out there will enjoy this for sure.

grantss Interesting only if, like me, you're a White Stripes fan. And then, even, not great. Doesn't really give any great background info on the band, or allow you to feel what their lives are like. The music is good, what there is, but that is flawed in its editing. Sometimes we only get snippets of songs tacked together. And entire concert (like they did in Under Blackpool Lights) would have been great, but would have taken up the entire movie.Probably the most interesting aspect of the film is as a travelogue of their Canadian tour. The towns they visit are often quaint and historic and the scenery quite beautiful.Worth a watch, but don't expect too much.

monstermanforever For those that don't know, The White Stripes have blazed a trail of blues havoc across the musical frontier for many years. One guitar. A drum kit. And most of the time a single voice. The White Stripes are minimal with a capital M.Thankfully they are also good. They are not doing anything revolutionary or even unique. They are just offering an alternative to the polished top 40 music scene and from the look of this documentary, having a great time doing it.This film offers black and white and color footage from a Canadian tour. Whether you like the songs will depend on how much you love thrashy blues and conventional country but there is no denying the enthusiasm that Jack and Meg bring to the stage, so it is wise that the film puts the focus here.

MisterWhiplash In 2007, to support their new album Icky Thump and to celebrate their 10th anniversary, Jack and Meg White took to Canada to tour. Under the Great Northern Lights is superb because it doesn't take the usual approach that documentaries following a band on-the-road do. But then again the White Stripes aren't the 'usual' rock band. It's just a guitarist/piano player and a drummer, maybe a guy playing bagpipes occasionally, and there's patterns in the songs with the number 3 and colors black and red. One of the members (Jack) does the majority of the talking (Meg even needs subtitles at points to be understood on camera, a point Jack makes fun of at one point on camera), and their 'tour' is both the traditional concert-venue variety and a more spontaneous form of performing on buses, in bowling alleys, in parks, just anywhere. I'm surprised they didn't perform in a bathroom. It's an amazing concert movie for reasons of unpredictability, but also for the interesting places they go to along the way (they meet up with a tribe of Indians and play some of their music), and just the personalities of the White Stripes on screen. They have a strange appeal; they're not totally hard rocking like grunge, but they're not as 'soft' as an emo band. They employ hard rock, and folk, and punk, and some music that is just unidentifiable except as White Stripes songs (you'll know them when you hear them, one of them is arguably the title track of Icky Thump). The collection of songs is fantastic to see played live, with some turns unexpected with an innocence to them (they perform "Wheels on the Bus Go Round & Round"!), and it's all off the cuff; according to Jack they don't have a set list and it flows much more naturally from that approach. And, on top of the content being so strong and inviting, the way the film is shot and how the director stages the White Stripes is engaging. It's black and white film for 85% of the time (other 15% is color, but only for some performances on stage), and it's like getting an old-time portrait of musicians on the road or something. It's strange to pinpoint, but it's such a strange way to make a concert movie anyway. It has the conventional structure, but the way its shot and edited is captivating. I didn't want it to end really. I was curious about their music before, and liked some songs especially. Under the Great Northern Lights has made me a fan.