Meeting People Is Easy

Released Mar 20, 1999

1 hr. 38 min.

Documentary

List

71%

7 Reviews

Tomatometer

85%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

This film takes a decidedly unromantic look at the touring life of English rock group Radiohead. The gloomy alternative band finishes recording their third album, "OK Computer," then travels to Asia, Europe and North America to promote it. Radiohead plays a series of large concerts and holds extended press conferences, all of which take a physical and mental toll on the band. Radiohead's introverted lead singer-songwriter, Thom Yorke, has a particularly difficult time dealing with stardom.

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Audience Member

Es el mensaje que desprende OK Computer. Ahora en formato largometraje. Disfruta y sé fitter happier.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Soooooo.....veryyyyyy.......tedious......ughhhhhh!!!!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

11/26/17

Full Review

Audience Member

Perhaps it's my bias as a huge Radiohead fan speaking - but Meeting People Is Easy is undoubtedly one of the most bleak music documentaries I've ever seen. It chronicles Radiohead's international tour for their critically-acclaimed OK Computer, their subsequent burnout, and the inordinate attention they received for it. It also follows the exacerbation of frontman Thom Yorke's depression in part due to international stardom. Director Grant Gee's style does wonders for this film. It's mostly shot in harrowing black-and-white, though there are a few colorized shots spliced in. He captures societal and technological disillusionment with his camerawork, complimenting the subject matter of OK Computer's lyrics wonderfully. There are a few shots in here that even rival the camerawork of master auteurs. Unlike most documentaries, Meeting People Is Easy is shot in a mostly experimental framework, which may put off some viewers expecting a conventional rockumentary akin to Led Zeppelin's The Song Remains the Same. Gee conveys mood with a conflation of Radiohead's music, white noise, and superb camerawork. Little is explained or said in here, but what is carries immense weight. Perhaps the most surprising thing about this documentary is how it deconstructs the notion that international music stardom is a walk in the park. Spoiler alert: it is not that easy. International stardom brings unwanted attention and scrutiny. Imagine, just for a second, how hard it would be walking out of any building if its exterior was teeming with paparazzis. Just imagine how you would feel about the infringement of you privacy at nearly every waking moment. This film is one of the most experimental and unique yet thoroughly accessible music documentaries out there. Although the film ends quite anticlimactically and you get little to no resolution (if you need that, look up Radiohead's Wikipedia article), for the most part it is thoroughly enjoyable, albeit devastating. Meeting people is easy. Making business with them, far less.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Echoing some of the reviews I have seen below, I would like to state this isn't for everyone. But for a fan like myself, it's absolutely necessary to watch this and will move something inside of you. Some of the scenes are quite telling.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

As a piece of art, it feels curiously cliched now. Perhaps because in the near two decades since it was filmed, so many of the techniques have been copied so often. As a demonstration why being a globe-straddling rock star might not actually be a great deal of fun, its convincing. The music, when we hear it, is a timely reminder that Radiohead were the best prog rock band Britain produced. If I knew where to look, I'm in the crowd somewhere during the Glastonbury set...

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

Audience Member

one of the best Radiohead documentaries I have EVER SEEN.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

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Grant Gee

Director

Thom Yorke

Himself (as Radiohead)

Jonny Greenwood

Himself

Ed O'Brien

Himself

Colin Greenwood

Himself

Phil Selway

Himself

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James Sullivan

San Francisco Chronicle

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Brian Gibson

Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Alberta)

Rated: 4/5

Aug 18, 2005

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Aug 11, 2005

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Michael Szymanski

Zap2it.com

Rated: 2/5

Jun 27, 2003

Full Review

Mark Palermo

The Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Rated: 3/5

Jan 30, 2003

Full Review

Collin Souter

eFilmCritic.com

Meeting People Is Easy feels like a hangover with a great soundtrack. It's not for all tastes, but for those who crave experimental filmmaking, it's a must.

Rated: 4/4

Nov 8, 2002

Full Review

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Synopsis

This film takes a decidedly unromantic look at the touring life of English rock group Radiohead. The gloomy alternative band finishes recording their third album, "OK Computer," then travels to Asia, Europe and North America to promote it. Radiohead plays a series of large concerts and holds extended press conferences, all of which take a physical and mental toll on the band. Radiohead's introverted lead singer-songwriter, Thom Yorke, has a particularly difficult time dealing with stardom.

Director: Grant Gee
Distributor: Seventh Art Releasing
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 20, 1999, Wide
Box Office (Gross USA): $51.3K