Work is a drag! It's some weeks since I made the trip to London, the Raindance Festival and the premiere of this film. A pilgrimage really – not to pay homage, more to pay respect to the songwriter, singer, sometimes maligned drummer for Hüsker Dü and star of this show, Grant Hart.The film would have worked for me, pretty much regardless. Personal history, band biography, plenty of concert footage and archive interviews (slight overuse of the 'Makes No Sense' recording, but that's fine and great if you're not familiar with it). For a fan, what's not to like? But it's much more than that. The basic construct of 'just Grant' works (as director Gorman Bechard thought it would) because Grant Hart is interesting, clearly creative and, if I'm honest, a little sad. There are many nice moments: a look at him doing his collage art (and stalking around the second-hand shop to pick up the old magazines he tears up to make them), a bit of insight into the creation of Hüsker's album covers (enough for the film, but would have loved more), Grant talking drum kits and drumming. Funny stuff too: about the collage art Grant's asked 'what would you call that?' – '150 bucks' (I think that was his price); the Husker Du impresses Black Flag story told in a Tarantino-esque animated sequence where the spurting blood red of Kill Bill's manga sequence (or may be the green tide of Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle vomit?) is replaced by the splatter of blue paint arse prints; the 'pumpkin band'! Grant also brings the necessary pathos to raise the film above the average – a bit like 'The Story of Anvil' but, like their respective musical output, less obvious. So we hear about Bob (of course), the period when he 'invested' in his blood stream, the relationship with his estranged son and the destructive fire at the family home. All have affected him, but it's the tour through his home that isn't there (completely destroyed? too damaged to be filmed?) that is perhaps the most poignant. The motivation for his slightly nutty and initially bewildering narrative is anybody's guess (this was apparently Grant's idea; was it a metaphor for his life, career?), but it's cleverly employed by the film maker, returning to it from time to time to provide a thread that holds the film together.When Gorman Bechard's Kickstarter fund for a film about Grant Hart was launched, a contribution was a personal opportunity to pay back for everything Grant has given - because as many people know, he deserves more recognition. Gorman's ambition here was brave and his film should do this for Grant because he has delivered something special, and so has Grant - in spades.And the talk of hours of unused footage means that this package can deliver even more. Something to look forward to I hope.

I am a fan of the Minneapolis music scene of the 80s and saw Husker Du perform back in the day, but would not characterize myself as a huge fan. But I am a fan of Gorman Bechard's work so I was curious about his decision to make a film about Grant Hart, especially after seeing Grant in "Color Me Obsessed". I found every moment of this film absolutely fascinating, interesting, and unpredictable. Bechard managed to combine Grant Hart's musical history along with his personal and artistic history in a manner that brings you into the story, but doesn't dwell on anything so long that it becomes boring. Unlike "Color Me Obsessed," there is music and video of the band; my only complaint is that I don't think that enough of it really gave you the sense of what a maelstrom Husker Du were live. I did not realize that Hart had created all the artwork for Husker Du's albums and singles and the descriptions of that process were absolutely fascinating to me, especially in this day and age of Photoshop and digital files. I could have heard him talk about that for hours. I walked out of the film convinced that I needed to see it again, to make sure I didn't miss anything, which is probably the best compliment I could give it.

This movie gives an amazing insight into the life and mind of ex Husker Du drummer/singer Grant Hart. Hart is in pretty much every frame of the movie but is never dull or boring. He's a fascinating complex character and his music used shows what an underrated and talented songwriter he is. Filling a movie with one subject like this could be problematic at times but the director gives us the feel of actually sitting with Grant, you feel a connection with him and at times his honesty really knocks you back. I would recommend this movie to anyone with a love of great rock music or an interest into the workings of a true artist.

If you're looking for your standard paint by numbers documentary format for just another average dull musician, then this movie is NOT for you!If instead you're interested in a vivid self portrait of one of music's most original and non-compromising artists of the last 30 years, whose pioneering band (Hüsker Dü) laid the foundation of a lot of modern music without much financial award, then I'd heartily recommend you catch up on the life and times of Grant Hart.The movie is told entirely by Grant, in his own very honest words, but is neither an ego trip nor a score settling exercise. We hear and see Grant today, as well as through a variety of flashback interviews, photographs and concert footage. Where the documentary breaks from convention is in not always conforming to the normal chronological structure when telling its story. By jumping around in time it keeps the viewer engaged on themes, rather than by the over used "album by album" approach. This is after all Grant's story, and not a Hüsker Dü documentary.The timing of the movie couldn't be better – Grant has just released a magnificent double album in 2013 to strong critical reviews. After many years, seemingly in the wilderness, this movie gives Grant a new day rising day in the sun, and hopefully more people will seek out his music because of it.