This is a very interesting and informative documentary that explores the history of a band called Big Star, started in Memphis by Alex Chilton and Chris Bell. Chilton had already struck pay dirt with a Memphis garage band named the Box Tops. Chilton's gravely voice powered hits like "The Letter", "Cry Like A Baby" and "Soul Deep" between 1967 and 1970. Alex was joined by Bell, Andy Hummel and Jody Stephens to form Big Star existing 1971-1974. The band was dark, existential and foreshadowed alternative rock, but experienced almost no commercial fame with their three released LPs; however influenced artists like R.E.M., The Cramps, The Replacements, The Posies and Flaming Lips. Songs like "Ballad of El Goodo", "In The Streets", "Thirteen", "Try Again", "Kangaroo" and "September Gurls" are considered monumental by their followers. If you are a die-hard fan of indie-rock, NOTHING CAN HURT ME will strike a note that will long be remembered.

It seems too much effort to fake a documentary of an unknown band, the old photos, current video, how did they age the actors or de-age them? The music clips and documentary style seem pure HBO/cable it just seems to be an overly serious parody, but there's no humour. Who's heard of this band, it's all so meta it's either brilliant or ridiculous.

Being a voracious consumer of rock music during the 1970's and having a pretty good grip on the major and minor players of the era, unfortunately I have to say that "Big Star" just wasn't very good. And I also remember the opinions of rock critics were usually out of sync with what most people were buying records of and tickets to see back then, so it should come as no surprise that they would try to spin some superlative filled sleep inducing documentary to fulfill their need to show us all how wrong we were. Sorry critics, it still goes right over your little heads. This is a condescending little foray into what was a fantastic decade of music, in spite of whether the critics approved or not.

I went into the theater expecting a rock-n-roll documentary about a group I'd never heard of. I agree with many of the reviewers here that the film starts slowly and appears to want to convince me that this extraordinary ensemble just didn't get the break they needed. The point was pounded home time and again but, not being an big fan of rock-n-roll I felt the need of more evidence, until the story began to break about the individuals in the band and the emotional content of their work together and their lives. It was as if they all--with the exception of Chris Bell--assumed they'd get what they deserved, and too bad if that was less than it might be. Here is where the story begins to become intriguing, but the payoff is not complete.I am the same age as the Beatles, roughly, and bought their albums and the mythology that went along with them. I admit I didn't know much more about rock-n-roll than that. If you'd ask me what the band who produced "The Letter" was I would probably have said The Monkees. In fact, the lead singer on that number was Alex Chilton, who became the central member of Big Star.In the q-and-a after the showing of BIG STAR, the director revealed that much of the angst endured by Chris Bell had to do with homosexuality, and there is an area of silence around this facet his life when you are interviewing his family and remaining friends. The nugget of information would be crucial to the narrative of the band and explain to a degree why the film didn't fully work for me. I could tell Bell was difficult, tormented, and probably a genius--but what his demons were, and what his relationship with Chilton was, was not even hinted at. He seemed petulant and jealous that Chilton became the star of the group, but the level of disillusion, betrayal and pain didn't seem to come from anywhere.The film made me think; it informed me of much I didn't know about the Memphis scene and rock-n-roll in the 70s, when I was off into folk and then into old-time pop music and jazz. I parted company with the mainstream but not to the degree Big Time did. Nevertheless it is interesting to learn about their path. Now that I know there is a great deal more to their story, I would love to hear that as well.