Why the Oasis movie is easily the year's best film so far

Who would have thought that a film about Oasis could be so immense, so beautiful and so profoundly moving?

In fact, without a shadow of doubt, it’s the film of the year so far.

Of course it’s about Oasis, but it’s about so much more besides. It’s a film about the power of music, what it brings to our lives and why we are all so much better for it – all wrapped up in the tale of the two warring brothers who, against all expectations, came together again in reconciliation last year on a massive world tour.

As Liam says, the band is basically about making lives better, and wow, the film illustrates precisely that – and does so magnificently.

There’s so much about this film that will stay with you, but maybe above all it’s the expressions of the people in the crowd to whom the music matters so much, the stories behind their attendance and the bliss on the faces, coupled with their tears and their disbelief, once they finally get to stand once again – or maybe for the first time – at the feet of their heroes.

As Liam, quite the philosopher of the piece, says, it’s about putting your phones down, having a great time, falling over, getting back up again, making mistakes and moving on – or words to that effect. It’s about avoiding the doom-scrolling, he says – about just getting out there and living life. And in this instance, doing so to one of the best soundtracks ever.

The film starts with a montage of Oasis’ 90s heyday highlights, all leading up to the infamous off-stage bust-up which led to the infamous on-stage announcement, to thousands of disappointed fans, that they band “no longer exists” and that the whole tour was off.

Next, 15 years later, we see them rehearsing for last year’s reunion, and goodness, Liam is grumpy, turning up, singing and then leaving, hardly speaking a word, abandoning the rest of a baffled band behind him. Presumably this is the point when it could have gone either way.

But Noel works the band hard, his argument being that he wants the concerts themselves to be fun. And he gets it bang on. The magic takes over. And even for us sitting in a nearly deserted cinema a year later, the music lifts everyone in a genuinely beautiful couple of hours of possibility, what music can do for us and what it will do for us.

Critics have moaned that the film tells us nothing about the explosive falling-out between the two brothers. But frankly, who cares. That’s not what this film is about. The clue is in the title. Don’t Look Back in Anger, a song which sums up absolutely everything. The world is a better place for a revived, reconciled Oasis. Beautifully put together, this is a story beautifully told, a film which captures something truly special.

And if all that’s not enough, it’s worth it just for Noel’s comment about his brother wearing a tambourine on his head…