Ben Harper: Pleasure and Pain

It turns my stomach when I hear that a musician takes himself so seriously that he thinks can change the world.

The film is a timorous, flailing attempt at docu-philosophy. Co-directors Danny Clinch and Sam Lee must have thought that desultory use of slow motion and quick-cuts can cover for aimlessness.

Those already enmeshed in the cult of Harper will be thrilled by this behind-the-scenes, on-the-road glimpse at their hero. Others may welcome exposure to his music but find the film -- and Harper -- a bit tedious.

As viewers leave the theater, they may end up asking themselves a question which it wasn't attempting to elicit: Does knowing this much about a great musical talent help or hinder your ability to like the music?