produced by: Gary Ward
directed by: Daryl Hannah
rating: not rated
runtime: 102 min.
U.S. release date: April 17 (theatrical – one night only)
“It’s going to be the first time I play in front of anybody in almost four years,” folk-rock legend Neil Young says in the black-and-white trailer for the documentary “Neil Young: Coastal.” “I’m petrified.” While we spend a lot of time with the artist as he makes his way up and down the West Coast on a solo tour in 2023, we never learn why he feels that way. Directed by his wife, Daryl Hannah, the documentary’s goal is more about capturing Young rather than having him engage in any probing questions. You won’t learn much about the Canadian maverick musician here, and even if you’re a die-hard fan, you might be disappointed at the documentary’s lack of illumination.
Shot entirely in black-and-white, “Coastal” opens on the titular coast, with Young writing Before and After” in the sand with a stick (an image used for his 2023 live album of the same name), only to be washed off by the tide to reveal the word “Coastal.” From there, we board his Silver Eagle tour bus, a distinctively designed vehicle driven by Jerry Don Burden with cameras positioned by cinematographer Adam CK Vollick and Hannah. We get brief glimpses of Hannah, and sometimes we hear her, but most of the time, it’s all from her viewpoint, presumably.
When Young isn’t captured on stage performing in one of 15 outdoor venues – such as The Ford, the Santa Barbara Bowl, and the Vina Robles Amphitheatre – we see him either turning around and engaging with Hannah or an over-the-shoulder view as the camera follows him around backstage. Inside the bus, a camera is positioned on the driver’s side, enabling us to hear some conversations between Burden and Young (oddly, neither are wearing seat belts). Still, none of them are really very interesting. At one point, the pair go on about Howard Hughes, but no personal ground is covered despite the film being marketed as a “personal, behind-the-scenes” project. While the behind-the-scenes element is intact, it definitely lacks a personal look at Young.
The best moments of “Coastal” are when Young is on stage, playing music either during soundcheck or during the show. Much of the music we hear is deep cuts or lesser-known tunes, which are welcome for longtime fans of his lengthy catalog. Young plays most of the songs on his Martin acoustic guitar or his piano or organ, along with harmonica accompaniment. There’s footage of him playing electric briefly, but the collection of songs are tender ballads or stories, emphasizing Young’s fragile falsetto. “I’m the Ocean” from his 1995 album “Mirror Ball,” in which he was backed by most of Pearl Jam, is a treat to hear stripped down and quite fitting considering Young is playing outside, not far from the Pacific Ocean. Also, from that decade, “Prime of Life” from “Sleeps with Angels” is also included, and it’s nice to see Young plucking these songs from a time when he was coming out of being called “The Godfather of Grunge”.
Probably the only recognizable songs are two from long ago. “I Am a Child” comes from Young’s time with Buffalo Springfield, which was released back in 1968 on the “Last Time Around” album. He also plays “Comes a Time”, the title track from his 1978 album. Before or after he plays his songs, Young can often be found engaging with the audience, either providing anecdotes or discussing his current state of mind on the tour.
Other standout songs are more recent ones that he recorded with Crazy Horse. We hear snippets of “Don’t Forget Love,” a tender ballad from his 2021 album “Barn.” One song that becomes a focal point is “Love Earth” from his 2022 album World Record, in which he rallies the crowd to join him in singing the two words from the title as an exultation for our planet, a subject dear to Young’s heart.
More than once we hear Young bemoan the typical “all they (the audience) wanna hear are the hits” (not true), yet at the same time he also hears the crowd “boo” at one venue after his final song. It surprises him, but at the same time, it should tell him it doesn’t matter what he plays; there are fans there for him no matter what.
“Coastal” isn’t the first time director Daryl Hannah has made a film that either revolved around or involved her husband. It started with 2018’s “Paradox” was a supernatural western released by Netflix, followed a year later by the documentary “Mountaintop” (co-directed with Young), which provided a behind-the-scenes look at Young regrouping with his legendary band Crazy Horse for the first time (at the time) in 7 years. She also helmed a film called “Barn (A Band, A Brotherhood, A Barn)” to coincide with the aforementioned 2022 album “Barn,” capturing Young and Crazy Horse recording music in an old Colorado barn built in 1870.
A soundtrack to “Coastal” will be released after the film’s “one night only” theatrical presentation on April 17th. It will consist of 11 songs from the tour, including “Vampire Blues,” “Expecting to Fly,” and “Song X.” Being a fan of Young for quite a while, I have to admit I’m more excited about the soundtrack to “Coastal” after having seen Hannah’s documentary. Either way, I’m glad I have tickets to see him again later this summer.
RATING: **1/2