In contrast, we also get to watch Patti Smith as a loving and devoted mom. You literally are able to watch her two children, daughter Jesse and son Jackson, grow up before your eyes. Jackson, by the way, evidently got some of Mom and Dad's musical genes as he's a great guitarist.
In between these more personal scenes, Dream Of Life often plays like a rock and roll road picture. Shot mostly in grainy shades of black and white (with occasional frames of color), the film most often looks like a more modern version of the classic Dylan documentary, Don't Look Back. In one scene, Patti Smith even jokes that she needs to learn to hitchhike like Dylan does in that classic rock-doc.
In other scenes, we see Patti Smith and her band as they travel the world, from New York to Atlanta to Rome, New Zealand, Jerusalem, and Japan. Throughout all of this, longtime guitarist and musical co-conspirator Lenny Kaye is nearly always at her side. We also get most of the backstory about her days as a punk-rock icon, including scenes shot at New York's infamous Chelsea Hotel and legendary punk club CBGBs.
In addition to her band, friends like Michael Stipe, Sam Shepard, and even Mom and Dad make appearances in the film. There's even one particularly funny scene of Patti Smith and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea comparing stories about how to hide while peeing in a cup.
My one minor complaint with Dream Of Life is that the concert sequences are far too brief. There are tantalizing snippets of Patti Smith and her band doing great songs like "Land" and "Rock And Roll Nigger" onstage, but never once do we get a complete performance. Maybe Steven Sebring can make a Patti Smith live concert DVD as his next project.
The extras on the Dream Of Life DVD include deleted scenes, 16 minutes of raw footage, the movie trailer, and an interview with Patti's son Jackson Smith, during which he plays the guitar. By the way, did I mention he's quite good?
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