Not just a live film then. How was this going to work?
Happily, it works very well indeed. I saw it at the Odeon in Glasgow last night and then I'm seeing it again at the Glasgow IMAX. I thought that I may as well treat this like a tour and see them when they are in town. Fernando Frias has captured the spirit of the gigs on the last tour pefectly. Ok, some of the songs are edited and (insert name of your favourite song) isn't shown, but that's not the point of this film. I'm not hugely informed about Mexican culture generally but the film's explanation of it in the context of its approach to death is fascinating and it compliments Depeche Mode's music perfectly. Some of the filming techniques are fairly experimental, especially for a concert film, but Frias pulls it off and the whole package makes for an extremely rewarding watch.
Ultimately, I was there and you will be there because of Depeche Mode and they are rightly the stars of this film. Dave's on-stage persona seen close up like this rather than from ten miles away in a stadium is outstanding. Massively over the top at all times, he struts around, does that odd chicken walk thing, pretends he's playing the piano very badly, spits an unusal number of times and generally owns the entire stadium. Martin, a man who obviously has an ear for a tune and is undisputably a musical genius, hops around displaying no sense of rhythm whatsoever, dancing like a drunk toddler holding a guitar. These are the things you don't generally see a lot of at the gigs. They both seem to be having the time of their lives however. Good for them.
The film handles World In My Eyes and the Fletch tribute perfectly. Martin and Dave appear in offstage mode before the song to add an edge to it and the crowd display pictures of Andy as the song plays. His death still doesn't seem real and that section of the film has the same emotional power that section of the concerts did. The other tracks are great and, unlike on the quite terrible Live Spirits, they sound superb. Stripped for example sounds huge. Wagging Tongue, a real highlight of the live shows, also sounds incredible. It's great seeing everyone going mad for the big songs towards the end too. I was doing the Never Let Me Down Again arm wave in the cinema last night albeit in very subtle form. It's very hard not to.
It's not perfect however. I would have liked to have heard more from the Mexican fans who seem to be as hardcore a part of the Depeche fanbase as anyone else. There are some comments at the start but it's pretty limited. I think more from the fans would have added more to the film albeit the non concert parts of the film do work very well.
Ultimately, Depeche Mode: M is hugely enjoyable and a great reminder of what was a great tour. The forthcoming Depeche Mode - Memento Mori: Mexico City will give us the full show (albeit culled from the three nights) on film to fill in the missing songs and that helps Depeche Mode: M work as a standalone film about Depeche Mode as opposed to just a Depeche Mode concert film.
That’s a really thoughtful and balanced review, David — it captures both the emotional weight and the artistic ambition of Depeche Mode: M very well. What stands out most is how you connect the film’s treatment of mortality and memory with the band’s own history and the loss of Fletch. That thread runs through Memento Mori and its tour, so it’s fitting that Fernando Frías chose to frame the Mexico City shows through the lens of Mexican culture’s relationship with death — not as something purely mournful, but as a celebration of life, continuity, and spirit.
ReplyDeleteYou’re absolutely right that this isn’t just a live concert film. Frías clearly wanted to create something that transcends documentation — to show how music, grief, and ritual intersect. It sounds like he succeeded, especially if the emotional tone of “World In My Eyes” carries the same impact here as it did on tour.
Your comments about Dave and Martin are spot on — they’re opposites who somehow create this perfect storm on stage. The way you describe Dave’s theatricality and Martin’s slightly awkward, endearing movements made me laugh because it’s exactly what makes them so human and so loved.
The point about the Mexican fans is interesting too. Their devotion to Depeche Mode has always been extraordinary, and hearing more from them might have deepened the cultural context the film was reaching for. Still, as you say, M seems to strike the right balance between concert, reflection, and artistic statement — something far more layered than Live Spirits, which never quite captured the energy or emotion of the real thing.
In the end, it sounds like Depeche Mode: M does what the best Depeche Mode projects always do: it blurs joy, melancholy, and transcendence into something deeply human. A fitting tribute — to Fletch, to the fans, and to a band that continues to turn darkness into beauty.
Paul😎
Spot On review David, saw the movie in tijuana, México, I believed everyone truly enjoyed the movie/concert/documentary. Sure a lot of people wanted some more hits/songs, but we will get them in december with the whole live álbum, i really loved the scenes where they would zoom in to the stage and see this versión of the band we don’t usually see, Antón is great but it’s great to have someone else’s eyes and give us some different angles and images, at the end, it almost felt as is the video that accompanied the songs where not even that important, except world in my eyes, because we got to see a different side of the band and more togetherness.
DeleteI saw it last night in Mexico City (IMAX), with my wife and we agree 100% with you. It felt short on the relationship of the Mexican fans and Depeche.
ReplyDelete