A slightly disappointing documentary about...well, what? It's not really the LIFE of Levon, it just follows him around for a few days and allows him to hold forth about the music business and certain former associates. I know he was a cantankerous cuss, that's fine - I don't want saints, I want geniuses whose music can move me, and that's what Lee's always did, along with his Band-mates, including He Who Shall Not be Named. There's some painful (in every sense),poignant footage of Lee having a camera put up his nose (and down his throat) which obviously causes him a lot of pain, but he bravely allows the footage to be shown. We also see him smoking a cigar, and laughingly bragging about his weed use - this from a man whose wonderful vocal chords were ravaged by cancer, and who was to lose his life to the disease. Everyone around him laughs at his every wisecrack, and his wife REALLY wants to go to the Grammys (Lee obstinately and foul-mouthedly refuses),but there are some fabulous moments too. All too brief clips of the Band playing, of Lee and his latter day band playing (full performances in the DVD extras would have been nice),the aforementioned medical procedures which show us Lee as a vulnerable, frightened old man - still with the time to sign an autograph (and write a message) for the son of a staff member at the medical centre, himself a drummer and fan of Lee's. There are some nice shots (perhaps a little contrived) of Lee working the land, sharing out the turkey and ham sandwiches. I'd love to see a substantial, warts and all biopic of Levon Helm, but this isn't it. A good, well-intentioned attempt though.

This film is all the more poignant since Levon has recently passed, but the film itself is also about resolve, dreams and looking forward. Levon developed throat cancer, and the treatments caused him to lose his voice. The film is about the struggle and wish to regain his voice and make a comeback, which he did, releasing two great studio albums (Dirt Farmer and Electric Dirt) and a live recording, Live At The Ryman. The film visits the past of course, and it touches on his feud with former Band guitarist Robbie Robertson over song credits, but it is more about the then present. Deceased Band members Rick Danko and Richard Manuel are touched on, and it is obvious Levon misses them (we all do). The post-cancer career Levon had was a gift to his fans, and he will never be forgotten. Somewhere, he, Rick and Richard are harmonizing together. For now, any fan of Levon and The Band should watch this, along with The Last Waltz, the extraordinary final show of The Band. Levon is greatly missed by so many, but this film makes us love him just as much as we always did and in that way, it triumphs.