"The Love We Make", a film directed by Albert Maysles "Gimme Shelter") and Bradley Kaplan, follows Paul McCartney as he journeys through the streets of New York City in the aftermath of the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001. It also chronicles the planning and performance of the benefit concert that took place less than six months after the attacks: "The Concert For New York City".

"It was an honor to be able to help New York and America at that time in its history," said McCartney of the concert. "There was a feeling of shock and fear in the air that I thought we could help alleviate with music and the fact that so many people stepped up to join us made for a very uplifting evening for us all."

The film features performance clips from the benefit concert and backstage moments with many of the performers and other famous attendees.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6989 in DVD
• Released on: 2011-12-06
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Dolby, DTS Surround Sound
• Original language: English
• Running time: 90 minutes

Most helpful customer reviews

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful.
A Legendary Artist, A Momentous Event: This Behind-The-Scenes Documentary Lacks The Intimacy You Might Expect
By K. Harris
Esteemed documentarian Albert Maysles (along with Bradley Kaplan) bring us this portrait of Paul McCartney shot in New York City in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. McCartney was actually en route out of the country on that fateful day and had his plane grounded when air traffic was shut down. This film documents, for the most part, a few days in October as McCartney readies for the huge benefit called The Concert For New York City. Part self promotion, part paean to New York, part celebrity portrait--this experience is not an overtly emotional tribute to the time. Its focus is squarely on McCartney and what it was like to be him during this tumultuous period. Always fascinating, but strangely aloof, the piece doesn't even get particularly close to its primary subject. Its success, I suppose, is giving viewers a behind the scenes glimpse at an event that united the nation. And while I appreciated this element, it certainly isn't as rousing or moving as I might have expected upon reading its description.

The film begins as McCartney is doing a press junket to promote the event. We see him interact with a number of big name interviewers from Dan Rather all the way to Howard Stern. In this process, the movie provides a peek behind the curtain as the bits are readied and then analyzed after the shoots. In between, McCartney traverses the streets of the city as crowds descend upon him. Somewhat patient, somewhat harried--this segment shows the pressures of celebrity in modern society. The second half of the film takes place during the concert itself and showcases McCartney meeting and greeting a vast array of celebrities that are on hand to participate in the event. Again, the filming doesn't focus on any particular moment or interaction but on the experience as a chaotic whole.

Brief musical snippets showcase David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, Jay-Z, Bon Jovi, James Taylor, The Who, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and Elton John prior to McCarteny's finale. This is, however, NOT a concert film. In fact, watching these small portions of the concert made me want to revisit the entire The Concert for New York City which is available on DVD. In the end, I don't know that I have a more intimate knowledge of McCartney as a person. Nor does the piece attempt a close examination of the September 11 tragedy. It is a behind-the-scenes glimpse at several things that any McCartney fan would appreciate. And while I would certainly and easily recommend it, it might not be what you expect. KGHarris, 9/11.

28 of 34 people found the following review helpful.
Such A Night
By Lewis J. Ditommaso
What we get here is a rare peek into what might typically be what Paul McCartney experiences whenever he's on the road. Paul has always been accused of being gaurded and rather coy. Not here. Not one bit. I have been watching this man since 1963 and never have I seen him more candid. We see his years-honed Beatle charm and wit. We also see his humanitarian side and genuine emotion for what transpired on that awful day. Make no mistake about it; Paul McCartney might just be the most powerful man in show business. People come to him. From pop stars to Hollywood types to media moguls to past USA Presidents. They all seek to gain his attention, some for more than a few minutes, others just to shake his hand and be recognized. Paul is charming throughout. A couple of particularly interesting moments were backstage when "Jimmy" (as Paul called him) Taylor were reminiscing about their Apple recording experience...and when Jay-Z was onstage performing, Paul was watching on the monitor and working his best "hood" moves as Abe Laborial was translating some of the hip-hop speak. Good stuff. We see his love for his daughter Stella, the admiration of his fellow musicians Elton John, Pete Townsend and Eric Clapton. The list of celebrities is long.
We get to experience a birds eye view of what happens when Paul appears on a street or what he goes through while riding in a limo. The adoration is genuine and endless....and his patience abounds.
Another cool aspect of the documentary is it being filmed in black and white, which gives it that "60's" feel. Albert Maysles doesn't fail with his lurking cameras and terrific editing.
While not a concert film at all, we see brief moments of the assembled doing their bit, from David Bowie to the Glimmer Twins, Mick and Keith.
Last, but not least, the documentary does a great job of capturing the emotions of the people most affected by the attacks of 9/11; the NYC police and fire departments and families of those who lost relatives and friends.
I own virtually every DVD/film of anything Beatle related. This documentary is unique. There's nothing else like it. While we get this insight into what Paul goes through, the impact of the events of 9/11 is not just a backdrop. It's front and center and driving the events that led up to The Concert for NYC.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful.
Viva McCartney?
By Neil A. Depuy
This is a really nice and reasonably intimate documentary. No dizzying cuts or the rehashed music more typical of McCartney DVDs. Maysles is as close to fly-on-the-wall as you're gonna get, and it really is fascinating to see some of the uncomfortable circumstances that Paul copes with admirably; ignorant and rude fans, stammering musicians, scores of employees, tedious interviews. You go away with the feeling that he is a sincerely kind and polite man. Conversely, you get to see some of the familiar "pushy" McCartney, trying to sell to some of his actual peers(Clapton, Townshend) one of his maybe-not-greatest tunes related to this event. It's also a little bit sobering to see Paul firmly in his old age(and this was ten years ago!) Good work. Maybe greatest musical artist of the twentieth century.