Plot: What’s it about?
Sometimes, there is only so much to be said about a concert film. You know from the get-go if you like the artist or not and then it becomes hoping that they sing the songs you want to hear. OK, maybe there’s a bit more to it than that, but you have a general idea of what to expect. Spoiler Alert: There will be a lot of singing. I have no shame in saying that I am in fact a Taylor Swift fan, or “Swiftie” as we’re often called. You won’t catch me using that term much, but I would say I am a moderate fan of hers. From her earlier country style tunes to her current all-out pop ones, she certainly has staying power. I would say she is probably one of the few current artists that you’re truly anxious to see what she does next. Props to her for her songwriting abilities (though she has collaborators on later albums) and her very stage presence and energy. It’s also great to see a modern celebrity who brings a wholesomeness to her act. I won’t call her totally PG in terms of persona, but she’s certainly more inspiring than some of the other female singers in this field.
Moving onto what you can expect to see here, expect a wide coverage of Taylor’s albums. After all, this is called the Eras tour. True fans will know her entire catalog, and this nearly 3-hour concert film gives us about as much bang for our buck as we can expect. I do wish her third album, Speak Now, had more songs presented here than the lone one, but with such a large catalog, something was bound to get shortchanged. Though that is a minor nit to pick as when you’re working with so much material, it can be hard to fit everything into one program.
What I enjoyed here is that what you get is as straightforward as you can expect. This thing runs long, but the songs are essentially what we see. Taylor will share some stories and speak about inspirations and other such things, but that is only a small portion as the songs take the main stage (pun intended). And I appreciated that. There aren’t family members or friends sharing stories about her, no childhood memories, the music is what we’re here to see, and we get that. I will admit that I did get a bit worn out some during the second hour as it can feel like overkill at times. But at least you get your money’s worth. I was constantly in awe of her very energy, never seeming to tire even slightly during this exhaustive set. The backup dancers and the sights and sounds are all top notch. For those who couldn’t attend for any variety of reasons, this is more than enough to whet the appetite.
The Bottom Line
Let’s face it: Taylor Swift can do no wrong. Even the most casual fans should enjoy this concert film. It gets it right by sticking to the music, without any filler. This, despite a nearly 3-hour running time. From her early albums to her most recent, and everything in between, you get a wide variety of each here. Though I wish a bit more was included from her third album, it’s hard to complain when she has a lot of ground to cover. And indeed, she does. Recommended.
