HIT ME HARD AND SOFT features singer/songwriter Billie Eilish and her band performing as part of Eilish’s seventh concert tour as a headliner. Teaming with famed director/producer James Cameron, a talented crew, and an ensemble of live musicians, she unleashes her hits in a packed in-the-round concert environment, along with interludes and interview segments leading up to the show itself, showcasing her life both on and off the stage.
Everyone who knows me knows I’m a hard rock and heavy metal guy for the most part. Billie Eilish is definitely outside of my normal music wheelhouse, but that’s not to say I’m not fascinated by the pop world and the fascination so many fans have with these artists. Eilish turns 25 this December, and in her time on this earth (less than a quarter century) she’s won over legions of fans around the globe, and a few years back, even became the youngest person in history to sing a title song for the JAMES BOND movie franchise, “No Time to Die.”
I’ve never listened to Billie Eilish before outside of that Bond theme song, but when someone is able to garner this kind of rampant fandom at such a young age, they’re clearly doing something right. When I got the screening invitation for HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, and also heard that the concert film would be produced by the legendary James Cameron (THE TERMINATOR, TITANIC, AVATAR, ALIENS), I was even more fascinated. The film beautifully captures what has made Eilish a pop superstar over the past several years. Even if you’re not a fan/have not experienced what she’s all about, you may want to check out this concert film. It’s expertly crafted, filled with raw energy and emotion, and brings all these worlds together nicely.
The basic structure of HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is simple but effective. It’s a big production Billie Eilish concert, but features several interludes with Eilish and her team behind the scenes, as well as interview clips and the like. These can range from Eilish’s influences to the effect she has on her fans, and even conversations with James Cameron regarding the best way to capture these experiences in a concert film. This isn’t Eilish’s first time filming one of her concerts and releasing it as a movie, but I have no doubt this is the biggest and boldest one yet. While I admittedly wasn’t crazy about the interview clips breaking up the flow of the concert (this stuff should’ve been relegated to the opening of the film and/or the closing credits), there’s no denying what unfolds on and off the stage in HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is powerful, impactful stuff.
The concert itself is surprisingly strong, thanks not only to Eilish’s singing, but also a strong live band and an elaborate set and stage design. Eilish and Cameron’s film plays to these strengths. One thing I truly love about this concert is that it isn’t simply a performer singing to canned audio and backing tracks. Eilish uses live musicians on stage, and even takes several time to highlight them; this already elevates her live show over those of many other modern day pop stars. We even see the show from multiple perspectives, from the close-ups of fans’ faces to Eilish utilizing a handheld camera at several points during the gig. I was skeptical about the use of 3D in the film, but James Cameron is a master of this technology, having utilized it heavily in his AVATAR films. At times there were hands of wild fans popping off the screen, and I had a hard time telling if they were concert patrons from the film or the wild fans of Eilish who packed my screening at AMC Town Square’s Dolby Room.
Again, I’d never listened to a single Billie Eilish song prior to this concert film unless you count the aforementioned “No Time to Die,” but the songs run a pretty diverse gamut with a wide variety of influences. One of my personal favorite moments in the movie was an interview with Eilish in which she discusses wanting to be a woman who succeeds on stage without having to wear skimpy clothing or fit society’s preconceived definitions of beauty. That Eilish can succeed on her own terms (she dresses more like a male rapper from the 1990s) and defy these conventions is a further testament to her stardom and status, which only seem to be rising with each passing day.
With HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, one of the world’s biggest pop sensations and one of the film industry’s true icons have united to create an immersive, loud, bold, and unforgettable concert experience on the big screen. It’s more than just a concert film. It’s a look into a career that has skyrocketed and the rampant fandom it’s created. The longtime Billie Eilish devotees will not be disappointed with what they see here (the audience at my screening was proof enough of that), but even newbies or those who have yet to jump on the wagon (I definitely fall under that category) may want to get out to the theaters and see Eilish and Cameron’s film, so they can see firsthand what all the fuss is about. You may end up mesmerized by it and caught up in it all too.
Very highly recommended!