Will the appetite for Beatles-related documentaries one day reach its end? Perhaps, but for now there’s still plenty of supply. The latest entry is “Paul McCartney: Man on the Run” (on Prime Video), which focuses squarely on a particular Beatle — McCartney — in the years following the band’s breakup. Really, this is a Wings documentary, but as with the man at its center, it can never really escape the penumbra of the Fab Four.
The director Morgan Neville often makes films about interesting people (Anthony Bourdain, Pharrell Williams, Fred Rogers) with a bit more thoughtfulness than the average celebrity documentary, and his newest, “Man on the Run,” takes a lightly unconventional approach. The narration comes from new and archival interviews with McCartney, as well as various members of Wings, family, friends and, of course, his wife, Linda McCartney, who is key to the story. But we never see any of the interviewees; they supply only voice-over. Instead, archival video, including some rare and previously unseen footage, tells the story visually.
That story is a kind of coming-of-age tale, in which McCartney — only 15 when he met John Lennon — tries to find his footing without the band and winds up creating a new one instead. Along the way we learn about his relationship with Linda and their children, his creative process, his quarrels and reconciliation with Lennon, and certain escapades involving marijuana. There’s a lot packed in here, though there’s a lot left out, too; this movie is McCartney’s side of every story.
Is it interesting? Well, that depends on who you are. A documentary like Peter Jackson’s three-part “The Beatles: Get Back” (on Disney+) was a hangout film, which let viewers sit around watching McCartney noodle on his guitar — and then, as if by magic, the album “Let It Be” would emerge. It was thrilling to watch no matter who you were, and by the principles of “show, don’t tell,” it was a “showing” film. “Man on the Run” is a telling film, in that every voice is telling you a story, and the visuals are there to reinforce what they’re saying. You could almost imagine it as an audio documentary.
So this is really a movie for hard-core McCartney (or Wings) fans who want to see all of the rare archival footage — or, conversely, for curious newbies who want a fast-paced introduction to one of the most talented songwriters of all time. For those who fall somewhere in the middle, it’s less satisfying. But don’t worry: I’ve no doubt there’s another Beatles-related documentary en route.
Alissa Wilkinson is a Times movie critic. She’s been writing about movies since 2005.
The post ‘Paul McCartney: Man on the Run’ Tells One Side of the Story appeared first on New York Times.
