CSNY Déjà Vu

Director: Neil Young
Country: USA

In 2006, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young reunited for their Freedom of Speech tour in protest against the war in Iraq, echoing their opposition to the Vietnam war in the 1960s and '70s. This documentary follows the band around as they are met with mixed reactions from people of varying political viewpoints across the USA. It also interweaves with various stories about people directly affected by the war and how they react to the tour.

Neil Young and Mike Cerre, a journalist who has been "embedded" in Iraq multiple times, bring us this documentary that is as much a behind-the-scenes look into a the CSNY reunion tour as it is a protest itself. It showcases interviews with the principle band members, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, and Neil Young, all of them explaining their reasons as to why they're doing the tour. It also features opinions (both positive and negative) from critics and concert-goers, and sees band members talking to those affected by the Iraq war (all of whom appear to support the band's standpoint). I found it to be a rather interesting documentary as I like their music (though not as a huge fan) and also share their views on the war, though right-wing people may feel a bit differently.

While it may be preaching to the choir a bit, I found CSNY Déjà Vu to be a solid documentary. It wasn't brilliant, but it also wasn't a waste of time. Recommended if you are against the war in Iraq or at least have an open mind about the issue.