ALL TOGETHER NOW is a feature length documentary chronicling the making of The Beatles’ Las Vegas show ‘LOVE’ by Cirque du Soleil.  As Montreal’s Cirque represents spectacle and a majority of the Beatles songs fantasy, the collaboration of the Las Vegas show seems a match made in heaven.

But like all huge ventures, success is plagued by problems.  Director Adrian Wills ties into the film issues faced by the producers of the show.  But problems like which songs from 1962 to the present should be chosen; who would decide on the proper interpretation seem superfluous in what seems to be a promo doc (which can be sold during the Vegas performances) as a money making scheme.  It is of no surprise then that Wills has assembled the impressive list of interviewees like Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, widows Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison as well as the band’s legendary producer Sir George Martin and his son, Giles. 

Not that all this is bad as the audience is still offered a glimpse of what goes on backstage.  The film’s best scenes are the old footages of the band performing at Liverpool venues.  The repeated running complaint during the planning that the show (300 days prior to ht premier, 200 days prior, then 131 days prior and so on…) has no direction gets a bit tiresome.  But Wills turns on the nostalgia with Starr reminiscing on the band’s gatherings, McCartney talking of the songs while the soundtrack blasts songs like ‘Get Back’, and “Sgt Pepper’ and of course, ‘Hey Jude’.  The film ends expectedly with some shots of the actual performances during the premier attended by McCartney, Starr and the widows Ono and Harrison.

There is nothing really wrong with Wills’ ALL TOGETHER NOW.  Wills documents the origins of ‘Love’ with Harrison meeting with Cirque’s founder Guy Laliberte during a Grand Prix and ends with the Las Vegas grand performance.  But still, one winces the fact that this doc was originally initiated as another way to bring in additional money for Le Cirque du Soleil et al.  There is a scene when Cirque’s founder (Laliberte) explains that everyone can give their two cents worth on what should be put on stage but it is ultimately the public that should be catered to.  One wonders whether what he says has already been thought of to be the right thing to say for this promo documentary.