Artifact (2012)

Genre: Documentary

Directed by: Bartholomew Cubbins (Jared Leto)

Cast: Jared Leto, Shannon Leto, Tomo Milicevic

Running time: 103 minutes

This very compelling documentary discusses the battle that ensued between the band Thirty Seconds to Mars and their record label, EMI, after the company filed a 30 million dollars lawsuit against the musicians for trying to get out of their deal over issues with royalties.

In this documentary, we see the three members of Thirty Seconds to Mars, Jared Leto, Shannon Leto and Tomo Milisevic work on the album that would eventually be called This is War, with producers Flood and Steve Lilywhite, with a huge lawsuit hanging over their heads and not knowing if this music they were recording would eventually be released.

Singer-songwriter-actor Jared Leto, who directed this film under the pseudonym of Bartholomew Cubbins, came off as a truly passionate artist here. He brilliantly conveyed the mood of these artists in a very stressful time. You can see him, his brother Shannon and his second bandmate Tomo go through a wide range of emotions.

Artifact offers a very interesting look at the complicated relationship between artistry and business and the commercialization of music. These times are more difficult than ever for people wanting to make a living with music. I highly recommend this documentary.

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