Search - Who The Hell Is Pete Doherty on DVD

Telling, but troubling

Lia Matera | Northern California | 07/02/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The second half of this DVD, and maybe especially the extended interview in the "extras", does show why Doherty enthralls fans and captivates the media. His talent and charm and intelligence are prodigious, and they shine through even in this second-rate piece of hagiography. But the first half is almost chilling, as Doherty's friends and bandmates come across as the "vampires" of lyrics by Carl Barat, Doherty's former partner in the Libertines. Barat once described Babyshambles as Doherty's "denial band" because it denies that Doherty's crack and heroin use are problems. That really comes through here. The narrator even describes Doherty kicking in Barat's door and stealing from him to sell his treasures as "borrowing", with the things later "showing up" (or some similar term) in a pawnshop. It's disturbing to see Doherty's friends try to insulate him to a destructive degree, and it's to Doherty's credit that they don't seem to fully succeed. But it's painful to hear Doherty's take on Barat's putting the Libertines on ice. It's even sadder to hear what that situation did to him--this is not just some junkie rock star, as toss-off tabloid articles assert, this is a genius songwriter, and anyone who's heard, say, F*** Forever, has to be grateful that he pulled himself out of that and continued writing. But it's tough watching him ramble and bristle while obviously too high to be lucid, much less creative. (As he put it, if he's holding a crack pipe, he's not holding a guitar.) This is not a good documentary by any measure, but in spite of itself, it is a fascinating look at a fascinating talent."

Doesn't quite satisfy

Simone Horn | New York | 06/30/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I was worrried that this film would be just one more piece of media vilifying Pete Doherty. Instead it doesn't go into enough depth about his drug abuse. I can see why Carl Barat called Babyshambles "Pete's denial band." They don't address that he has put himself into a life threatening situation, and instead blame the tabloids for the majority of his problems. I wish the filmmaker had been able to interview people like Carl who could've given the film a more balanced feel. That said, I gave it 3 stars because it is the only thing I've been able to find that doesn't treat Pete as a big joke. At least the filmmaker acknowledges that to many many people Pete is a hero, and a truly gifted artist. But for a film that claims to reveal the true Pete Doherty, it falls short.
As for the person who gave the film 1 star, it sort of seems like you didn't actually watch it. And I wonder if you have ever even heard any of The Libertines or Babyshambles albums? I am also a "snarky American" but that hasn't stopped me from recognizing the genius that Pete is capable of."

A good look inside the mind of a troubled star

B. Wallace | Philly, PA | 09/05/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With Pete being a popular subject in tabloid and media news lately, people have seem to forgotten what brought him to this point in the first place. Pete's public image and personal life may be under constant scrutiny but one thing that should not be scrutinized is the man's ability to put together a catchy melody and combine that with a poetic sense of lyricism. This film does a great job of combining that public image and his musical passion and balancing those area's out to allow the viewer to be a fair judge of Pete's influence on music today. The interview's done with Pete throughout this film are very well done and allow Pete to discuss such things as the Libertines break up which shows the emotional part of his personality. Overall if you are a fan of the Libertines, Babyshambles or just Doherty himself this film is worth the money."