Can't Stand Losing You: Surviving the Police

Filmmaker Andy Grieve's documentary draws from Police guitarist Andy Summers' 2007 memoir, offering counterpoint to drummer Stewart Copeland's 2006 film about the band, Everyone Stares (VL-11/06). Summers narrates, while Grieve cuts back and forth between the trio's 1977-1986 history and their 2007 reunion tour. Summers begins by talking about his tenure in several rock bands, including Eric Burdon's New Animals, before he met Copeland and bass player Gordon “Sting” Sumner. Summers didn't share their enthusiasm for punk, but the pair convinced him it was the way to make it in the music business, and it ended up working quite well for the Police. During downtime on tours, Summers picked up a camera, and his photographs—ranging from surrealistic tableaux to nude bed-mates—offer a mosaic of life on the road. Non-entities in Britain, the band found stardom in America, and subsequent fame around the world, racking up platinum records and Grammy Awards. Early on, the press predicted that front man Sting, with his good looks and “moody arrogance,” would go solo, and after five records, he did exactly that. Summers also discusses personal matters, such as his marriage, divorce, and re-marriage to his wife Kate. Throughout, Summers' world-weary tone and sarcasm compensate for some of his more self-satisfied pronouncements about the group's talents and achievements. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo, extras include audio commentary with Summers and producer Norman Golightly, a behind-the-scenes featurette, an L.A. premiere Q&A, and a photo gallery. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)