Nicole Kidman talks to AMC audiences before each screening about “the sound I feel” and how “it feels good to feel grief in a place like this.” She might as well be talking about watching Taylor Swift: A Tour of Eras. The nearly three-hour presentation of the final dates of Swift’s US tour, filmed in Los Angeles at Sophie Stadium, is a bombastic celebration of not only Swift’s musical catalogue, but also the friendship, joy and color that benefit from being on the biggest screen.
Whether you were at the concert or seeing it for the first time, Swift has put on a show that dazzles, amazes and enchants. Swift performs almost every song included in the Los Angeles concerts, with the exception of a few here and there. Hits like “Shake It Off” and “Cruel Summer” are present and counted, but it’s nice to see Swift playing with her audience and playing different characters during her performance. An example is a scene from her Evermore performance where she performs “Tolerate It”. Like a mini-play, Swift and the dancer act out the separated couple with all the emotions as if watching a real movie.
Director Sam Wrench introduces each section by highlighting a specific Swift album, with a CGI-heavy intro that belies the practical effects on stage but helps break up the music-heavy tour. Swift is constantly on the move: a whirling dervish in a variety of transparent clothes and costumes, which the camera lovingly captures. Literally every sequin and bead is visible.
And that’s really one of several reasons to see “Eras” in a theater to take in the details of Swift’s massive tour. Wrench’s camera circles around Swift and her dancers, leaving viewers wondering in some scenes whether a physical camera or a drone was present. The level of detail on stage is a testament to Swift herself, but it’s nice to see all the songs, whether it’s the fact that her microphone changes with each album or how the audience can see Taylor’s name on Swift’s guitar.
It’s also nice to see how Swift controls Sophie as the camera captures several of the huge crowd’s performances. Fans sing along and, in many cases, openly sob. Swift may say at the beginning of the concert that she feels like a “man,” but seeing fans’ reactions to her makes her feel more like all four Beatles. At one point, cameras captured the highly publicized moment of Swift hugging Kobe Bryant’s daughter Bianca, and while it became a huge event in the news cycle, on screen it’s, dare we say, an intimate, tear-inducing moment.
The film’s “Evermore” and “Reputation” sections are the highlight of the concert and the film. The first, one of two pandemic albums Swift has released, is absolutely beautifully choreographed and staged, with dancers taking to the stage holding beautiful globes that resemble candlelight. Swift’s performance of her songs from “Reputation” is very powerful, allowing the theater’s sound system to show its power, the vibrations are quite intense.
Interestingly, there are no actual documentary elements in the film. This is the concert itself, no more, no less. From time to time, Swift sits down to talk to her audience, but she is still as carefully curated and polished as anywhere else. This is not a criticism and, if anything, gives audiences exactly what they want: the opportunity to see “Era” in a theater with the best seat in the house. But it’s nice to watch the end credits, where Swift’s fans are shown next to the moments when Swift suffers costume malfunctions.
The audience’s experience will vary depending on how much they love Swift or whether they value one album over another. The runtime is smooth, especially because it doesn’t have the downtime that you experience at a real gig. Swift and Wrench did something truly special with Eras: They created a colorful celebration of music and, inadvertently, cinema.
Watching movie premiere audiences dance in the aisles and sing every song is just a small example of how it will impact audiences once it becomes widespread. It can be a truly communal experience that reminds us, as Nicole Kidman says, why we come to the movies: to find the magic.
“Taylor Swift: The Era Tour” will be in theaters, distributed by AMC, starting October 12th.
