Media Coverage of James Blunt: One Brit Wonder documentary

6th December 2023

4 Star review in The Guardian

Chris Atkins’ highly entertaining documentary about the soldier turned million-selling singer-songwriter effectively marks the apotheosis of James Blunt’s superb comeback – his rearguard action, in fact, against all the tabloid journalists, trolls and panel-show comics who were using him as a punchline, nettled at his overwhelming success and poshness.

Using skills honed at boarding school, and the possibilities of social media, Blunt neutralised the bullies by laughing at himself first, while also (with a dash of ruthless cunning) picking on civilians, quote-tweeting some member of the general public making a nasty remark and adding a very good gag notionally at his own expense but also embarrassing his tormentor. His Twitter game turned it around – though his sales never appear to have been really affected by the mockery. And throughout this fly-on-the-wall account of Blunt’s international tour, much delayed by Covid, the star retains a very droll and unashamedly well-bred irony, wit and down-to-earth attitude.

Thanks to Taylor Swift’s blockbusting Eras movie, going to the cinema is the new rock ’n roll, the multiplex the sensible suburban alternative to the mosh-pit. Where better, then, to experience the head-banging force of nature that is James Blunt – who has unleashed his new documentary upon cinema-goers for one night only. 

Blunt is the musical equivalent of Marmite if everyone hated Marmite – even the person who invented it. So goes the cliché anyway. But this agreeable film pushes past the stereotype of Blunt as the second coming of Chris de Burgh and delivers an affecting portrait of a posh pop star who has endured a lifetime of vitriol. 

The marketing for James Blunt: One Brit Wonder suggests a comedic take on Blunt’s life and times: one blurb describes it as “cross between Spinal Tap and Alan Partridge”. In fact, Blunt is among the most self-aware people in music – as is obvious from his devastatingly witty Twitter feed. He has also had genuine challenges. He witnessed terrible violence serving as a reconnaissance officer in the Life Guards in Kosovo in 1999 and seems to have never quite recovered from the trauma of being packed off to boarding school aged eight.