Movie-Jay I too saw this movie at it's premiere in Toronto, and it was one of the most intimate experiences of the 51 movies I saw at the festival. For those unfamiliar with Daniel Lanois, he's that humble Canadian musician best known for producing acts ranging from U2, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Peter Gabriel and Emmylou Harris. He's a fine musician in his own right, creating earthy and soulful music that defies and transcends any one specific genre. "Here Is What Is" is a 90 minute film documenting the creative process of music making that is shot mostly on digital, but breaks free of conventional film-making as the look of the film, from grainy to surreal to black & white, evokes mood and atmosphere and tone and allows us about as close as we can get to that moment when nothing becomes something.It is also a strikingly sincere film about a man who really seems to love what he does irregardless of fame or glory and the movie sees this man without a hint of ego or guile. Indeed, in the footage of Lanois working with U2, he seems more like a kid in a candy store. We meet some of the talented artists he's worked with over the last few decades, including his fellow U2 producer Brian Eno as they work on that band's new album, and we're treated to some very good sequences with drummer Brian Blade. I'm thinking particularly of that scene when Lanois is charting a course through a song with Blade and as Lanois explains the movement of the song in broad physical terms, the scene is edited with footage of the two creating the song practically out of thin air and mutual trust."Here Is What Is" is precisely that, and then grows into something more fascinating: what appears to be a simple idea about capturing perhaps an interview or a few scenes of making music turns into a musical journey of ideas and feelings; from nothing to something, to something that touches on the holy. A musical journey that is a fusion of rock, jazz, blues, pop with flavors from deep in the heart of the bayou, this movie is for anyone who feels that music can be anything, that it can soar and search, that it can evoke melancholy and happiness simultaneously. This is a gem of a movie that will win people over one at a time and offer deep and gratifying rewards to anyone curious enough to seek it out.

daly-nancy I came in here to see if there was a release date for this wonderful film, which I saw (twice - it was that good) at the Toronto International Film Festival. And while I didn't find that date, I did decide to take exception to the previously posted comment.As with all things Lanois, I've discovered, you have to enter with an open mind and be prepared for some unexpected (but usually totally down to earth) aural beauty. This film bridges that aural concept with visual aspects, and hardly disappoints. Yeah, there's some quirky film editing and it's not exactly polished, but that's the point. This is Daniel Lanois we're watching in action! Why would his film be predictable when his music never is?The stunningly simple point of the film, for me, was that in order to coax each artist's best performance from their unique talent, and then capture and remix it as only Mr. Lanois can do given his own substantial talents, was to allow the mood and creativity of the musicians in the room let the piece evolve on its own. There's 'way more than patience -- or a quick production lesson -- involved in this process. I saw that the reason so many of my favorite albums have production credited to Daniel Lanois, is that he's earned the trust of these disparate artists, encouraged them to cut loose according to their own plan rather than his own, and then manipulated the tape of the event into something that may be totally realistic to the room - or maybe otherworldly, depending again on the mood and the overlapping creativity. An open-ended process...I loved it! But I didn't expect a lesson in his trade secrets. His ethic doesn't come across as something that can be marketed or copied. Like his chosen subjects, Mr. Lanois seems authentically artistic in his own right. The film is an adventure spending a bit of time in his world, and very inspiring. I hope to own it sometime soon so I can revisit some of those conversations and be re-inspired.

Quiller What a wasted opportunity! I know you're not supposed to review the movie that could have been, that you should stick to the movie that "is", but here is what is -- this just plain sucks. I expected this doc to offer some insights on the music production process, and contain some intriguing interviews on the give and take between artist and producer. And also, since Lanois is so attuned to mixing, to show something of the give and take between studio engineer and producer.Aside from a soundbite that Lanois interprets a mixer as a whole other instrument, and a brief dissertation on how the song takes shape not merely from what the musicians play but from the extra materials you have at your disposal and the "feel" and vibe in the studio -- this film's 90 minutes is better spent listening to 'Oh Mercy' or one of the many other fine albums Lanois has produced or co-produced.The look of the film is very disturbing and, at times, intolerable and unwatchable -- an attempted avant garde look that is so behind the times it could have been chopped together mid-70s. The longest interview segments are with Brian Eno, who at one point esoterically conveys some statement about the colours of a tapestry -- colours the film audience cannot even see, because they are either bleached or diluted or non-existent due to the film's look.The co-directors should feel ashamed that they weren't able to cull together better material, especially from this calibre of subjects. Also, the extended music sequences are so self-indulgent they give new meaning to "art for art's sake". The opening 4 minute shot of a piano piece being played (by Garth Hudson), from one angle -- a piece that is not even that complex or a display Hudson's obvious talent -- is indicative of the rest of the movie's musical sequences. Embark at your own risk.