This 1991 companion to German director Wim Wenders's film sets a high water mark for the intelligent use of cutting-edge popular (and we're using that term in its broadest sense) music on film, deservedly cracking onto critical lists for the best releases of that year, period. The contemplative thriller's setting at the end of the millenium is answered by a remarkable repertory of artists including Talking Heads, Neneh Cherry, Lou Reed, Elvis Costello, R.E.M., Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Patti Smith, Jane Siberry with k.d. lang, T-Bone Burnett, Daniel Lanois and U2, a de facto dream team. Nearly all these performances were unheard at the time of release, and beyond the evident marquee lustre there's an underlying cohesion to the sense of yearning that prevails. Both Cave and U2 build powerful songs around the title theme, Elvis offers a brilliant Ray Davies cover, and the Siberry/lang classic, "Calling All Angels," summarizes the spiritual underpinnings of this thoroughly modern, ultimately timeless classic in film music. --Sam Sutherland

Fifteen-year-old William Miller accompanies Stillwater, a rock band, on their tour in order to write an article about them and learns about relationships along the way.