by Josh Sewell
There have been countless books and scholarly articles written about the radical, tumultuous history of The Beatles, along with thousands of hours of documentaries, biopics and television shows. The rise-and-fall nature of the band’s existence fits perfectly into a narrative structure (which is probably why Sam Mendes is making four more – from the individual perspectives of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr – that we’ll see in 2028).
However, the post-breakup years haven’t been nearly as chronicled in pop culture. Die-hard fans probably know all the minute details, but regular folks like me are a bit fuzzier on them. Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Steve! and so many more) does his best to address that issue with his latest work, Man on the Run.
The engaging, informative doc takes viewers on an intimate, surprisingly honest journey through the decade of McCartney’s life following the Beatles’ chaotic split and his new artistic life as the front man of Wings. It chronicles his new marriage to Linda, a New York photographer, who also becomes a trusted musical collaborator, along with other emotional and personal challenges he faces along the way.
What makes Man on the Run more interesting than the usual run-of-the-mill documentary is how Neville mostly eschews the traditional talking head format. Instead, he utilizes tons of previously unseen footage, rare archival materials, and interviews with both McCartneys (Linda’s being from prior recordings, obviously) as well as friends and colleagues like Mick Jagger, Chrissie Hynde and Sean Lennon.
The doc has some exceptionally creative editing (courtesy of Alan Lowe) that is closer to stop-motion animation than traditional quick cuts, fades, wipes, etc. The nonstop use of actual handwritten lyrics, personal photos, magazine articles and old talk show clips makes the film and its pacing feel significantly more modern than the era it chronicles, which is (yikes!) over half a century ago now.
Everyone who listens to The Beatles has their favorite member, and I’ve always been a Paul guy. Where John was brooding, George was measured and Ringo was the mascot (poor Ringo…), Paul was the happy, upbeat guy. At least that’s how it seemed on the surface. Man on the Run changed my perspective somewhat.
After a quick recap of the band calling it quits (this is probably one of the only Beatles-related films in which they’re already done before the title card appears), Neville focuses on the weeks and months afterward. McCartney got most of the blame from fans and critics for the dissolution, although Lennon’s the one who bailed first.
He spends a fair amount of time licking his wounds (which he certainly earned), but as he and Linda figure out what their future is going to look like, everyone else keeps trying to force them back into the past. McCartney’s narration and the archival footage leave no doubt about his anger and frustration, which is fascinating when juxtaposed against his cheery public persona.
But, to state the obvious, the best aspect of Man on the Run is the incredible music. McCartney wrote so many iconic songs (and a few not-so-iconic, to be fair) that I’d forgotten he was responsible for a lot of them. Seeing him perform them with Linda and the rest of Wings’ revolving membership is a blast. As a terrific bonus, Neville constructs one of the film’s biggest laughs with a perfectly timed snippet of “Wonderful Christmastime” – arguably McCartney’s most divisive song.
It’s a huge bummer that Man on the Run, which celebrates one of the 20th century’s most iconic musicians and features a soundtrack designed to be played as loud as possible, is being unceremoniously dumped on Prime without much fanfare. I wish it would’ve gotten at least a brief theatrical run so I could see it on the big screen. Gotta say, it would probably make more money than the other documentary Amazon chose to put in theaters a few weeks ago.
Regardless, it’s a fun, insightful flick no matter how you watch it. Plus, it reminded me to look for a bunch of old McCartney stuff on Apple Music, which should make my daily commute less boring.
Man on the Run is rated R for language. Available on Prime Video starting February 27.
Grade: B
However, the post-breakup years haven’t been nearly as chronicled in pop culture. Die-hard fans probably know all the minute details, but regular folks like me are a bit fuzzier on them. Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Steve! and so many more) does his best to address that issue with his latest work, Man on the Run.
The engaging, informative doc takes viewers on an intimate, surprisingly honest journey through the decade of McCartney’s life following the Beatles’ chaotic split and his new artistic life as the front man of Wings. It chronicles his new marriage to Linda, a New York photographer, who also becomes a trusted musical collaborator, along with other emotional and personal challenges he faces along the way.
What makes Man on the Run more interesting than the usual run-of-the-mill documentary is how Neville mostly eschews the traditional talking head format. Instead, he utilizes tons of previously unseen footage, rare archival materials, and interviews with both McCartneys (Linda’s being from prior recordings, obviously) as well as friends and colleagues like Mick Jagger, Chrissie Hynde and Sean Lennon.
The doc has some exceptionally creative editing (courtesy of Alan Lowe) that is closer to stop-motion animation than traditional quick cuts, fades, wipes, etc. The nonstop use of actual handwritten lyrics, personal photos, magazine articles and old talk show clips makes the film and its pacing feel significantly more modern than the era it chronicles, which is (yikes!) over half a century ago now.
Everyone who listens to The Beatles has their favorite member, and I’ve always been a Paul guy. Where John was brooding, George was measured and Ringo was the mascot (poor Ringo…), Paul was the happy, upbeat guy. At least that’s how it seemed on the surface. Man on the Run changed my perspective somewhat.
After a quick recap of the band calling it quits (this is probably one of the only Beatles-related films in which they’re already done before the title card appears), Neville focuses on the weeks and months afterward. McCartney got most of the blame from fans and critics for the dissolution, although Lennon’s the one who bailed first.
He spends a fair amount of time licking his wounds (which he certainly earned), but as he and Linda figure out what their future is going to look like, everyone else keeps trying to force them back into the past. McCartney’s narration and the archival footage leave no doubt about his anger and frustration, which is fascinating when juxtaposed against his cheery public persona.
But, to state the obvious, the best aspect of Man on the Run is the incredible music. McCartney wrote so many iconic songs (and a few not-so-iconic, to be fair) that I’d forgotten he was responsible for a lot of them. Seeing him perform them with Linda and the rest of Wings’ revolving membership is a blast. As a terrific bonus, Neville constructs one of the film’s biggest laughs with a perfectly timed snippet of “Wonderful Christmastime” – arguably McCartney’s most divisive song.
It’s a huge bummer that Man on the Run, which celebrates one of the 20th century’s most iconic musicians and features a soundtrack designed to be played as loud as possible, is being unceremoniously dumped on Prime without much fanfare. I wish it would’ve gotten at least a brief theatrical run so I could see it on the big screen. Gotta say, it would probably make more money than the other documentary Amazon chose to put in theaters a few weeks ago.
Regardless, it’s a fun, insightful flick no matter how you watch it. Plus, it reminded me to look for a bunch of old McCartney stuff on Apple Music, which should make my daily commute less boring.
Man on the Run is rated R for language. Available on Prime Video starting February 27.
Grade: B
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
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