Featured Audience Ratings

• Eric B

  
  Great: hearing the original Motown musicians play together and tell stories. Not great: fleeting-popularity guest singers like Joan Osborne, Ben Harper, Meshell Ndegeocello and Gerald Levert (not to mention a lot of ugly perms) that make the film seem badly dated just 10 years later.… More
  Great: hearing the original Motown musicians play together and tell stories. Not great: fleeting-popularity guest singers like Joan Osborne, Ben Harper, Meshell Ndegeocello and Gerald Levert (not to mention a lot of ugly perms) that make the film seem badly dated just 10 years later. The occasional use of acted recreations is another dubious -- and unnecessary -- choice.

• John B

  
  A great exploration of the performers who don't get the measure of credit that they should - the background players. This is the story of those who can be heard on the hits but are lost in the credits. Very gifted and talented. I'm glad their story is told.

• Lesley N

  
  Fantastic documentary about a group of unknown musicians, self-named The Funk brothers who were the musical force behind so many of the Motown classics; partnering Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, the Four Tops, Smokey Robinson... name a hit, and chances are, they were playing on it.… More
  Fantastic documentary about a group of unknown musicians, self-named The Funk brothers who were the musical force behind so many of the Motown classics; partnering Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, the Four Tops, Smokey Robinson... name a hit, and chances are, they were playing on it. Narrated by Andre Braugher, the film for the most part keeps him in the background and lets the musicians speak for themselves, and they do in a series of gentle stories and anecdotes. mixed with sadness about the musicians they lost along the way. The reminiscing is interleaved with a recent reunion concert where, if you weren't convinced so far, they prove once again that their contribution to the Motown sound was priceless. If you're a fan of the music already, this is a must-see.

• Leo L

  
  Great!

• Buddy A

  
  An excellent documentary about the Funk Brothers. What, you've never heard of them? Unfortunately, most people haven't either, despite the fact that they played on nearly every single Motown song ever recorded. Together, they've played on more number one hits than the… More
  An excellent documentary about the Funk Brothers. What, you've never heard of them? Unfortunately, most people haven't either, despite the fact that they played on nearly every single Motown song ever recorded. Together, they've played on more number one hits than the Beatles, Elvis, the Beach Boys, and the Rolling Stones combined. This documentary finally sheds some light on these fantastic musicians (several of whom have unfortunately passed on) and does so expertly, resulting in an immensely entertaining film experience. Highly recommended.