Full confession: I love Bob Marley, so a biographical drama about the reggae icon is pure catnip for me. BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE, a charming, personal look at the music giant, is produced by his son, musician Ziggy Marley. Ziggy Marley influenced the casting of Kingsley Ben-Adir, who is excellent as Bob Marley. The drama covers his life, music and beliefs, religious and political, with a special focus on his relationship with his wife Rita, played by the also excellent Lashana Lynch.
The film opens at a pivotal moment for Marley, as he is preparing for a concert in Jamaica that he hopes will soothe heated political tempers in the run-up to an election. The opposite happens, with an assassination attempt on the singer. Moving back and forth in time, the film goes on to follow Bob Marley’s path to international stardom as he brought his reggae-infused music to the world and the world’s attention to Jamaican music.
BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE is not a documentary nor is it the definitive biography. But it is a fine reminder of the man’s integrity and values, and the enduring gift of music he gave to the world.
Kingsley Ben-Adir does a marvelous job portraying Bob Marley, and looks strikingly like him, capturing his movements, performance style and dazzling smile, despite being nearly 6-foot-2-inches tall while the real Bob Marley was just under 5-foot-7-inches tall, although a giant of music.
Shot on location in Jamaican, we get some lovely glimpses of the island’s natural beauty and also views of the hardscrabble, dusty streets where Marley grew up. The film not only covers Bob Marley at this career height, but portrays moments from his earlier life, with two young actors who portray the musician as a small child and as a teen.
Marley’s teen years are when he met his future wife, launched his career, and discovered Rastafarianism, all touched on in these flashback sequences. The early childhood scenes have the symbolic feel of memories and touch on his feelings about his white British father in some visually striking scenes. The flashback sequences give us insight on the man’s formative experiences and a bit on the development of his music.
While this biopic is thoroughly enjoyable, two things would have made it even better: more of Bob Marley’s music and clearer dialog. The concert sequences are among the film’s most enjoyable moments and Kingsley Ben-Adir’s captures Marley’s energetic stage performances wonderfully. The characters speak with Jamaican accents, which adds to the authenticity of this Jamaican-shot drama but there are moments, sometimes long ones, where the dialog is largely undecipherable by non-Jamaican audiences. Subtitles would help, but having the actors slow down a bit and speak a bit more clearly would have been enough to avoid the distraction of subtitles. It is something that comes and goes, and most the dialog is clear enough but still, it is frequent enough that when a clueless British record producer, played by Michael Gandolfini blurts out a “What?” after Ben-Adir’s Marley says something, it gets a big, unintended laugh from the audience struggling with some of the same problem.
This are little things (well, maybe not the wish for more Bob Marley music) and do not significantly detract from enjoyment of the film. BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE is a delightful revisiting of the life and music of the beloved music icon Bob Marley, with a striking performance by lead Kingsley Ben-Adir.
BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE opens Wednesday, Feb. 14, in theaters.
The list of actors who have jumped behind the camera to sit in the director’s chair is very long. One way to shorten it considerably would be to specify which of their debut-directed flicks were both a critical and commercial hit. Yes, Orson Welles’ CITIZEN CAINE is lauded by film scholars but barely produced a ripple in that competitive “golden year” of 1941. Yes, it’s rare, but one actor really hit a “home run” in his first time “up to the plate” with a film that’s the third screen take on a beloved early sound classic, that packed the multiplex, made some top ten lists, and snagged some Oscar gold. Ah, but the actor was nominated for his performance (yes, he directed himself in that debut), but nothing for his strong cinematic storytelling. Now five years later, he’s back directing himself, for his follow-up. And though this is a biopic rather than a romantic drama, it is also set in the world of music. So, is this a case of “sophomore slump”? Well, after watching this effort, he could perhaps share the title of MAESTRO.
And just who is referred to in the film’s title? None other than Leonard (“Call me Lenny!”) Bernstein (Bradley Cooper), who, for many “baby boomers” was the “face” of classical music in America for several decades. In the opening scene, he’s well into his twilight years as he sits down at the piano for a filmed interview in 1978. Then the movie backtracks thirty-five years into dazzling black and white. Lenny leaps from the bed he shares with his lover David (Matt Bomer) in an apartment above the concert stage to take the most important phone call of his young life. Bruno Walter, the conductor of the New York Philharmonic is ill and Lenny will have to take the “baton”. And it’s that old cliche as “a star is born”. Lenny’s the darling of high society and the NYC art world. At one of the swanky parties he meets, and is immediately dazzled by a young stage actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan). This begins a whirlwind romance over the next few years as Lenny establishes himself as a composer with the hit “On the Town”, leading to their marriage in 1951. The couple becomes the “toast of the town” and begins a family, despite Lenny’s wandering eye for both sexes. Felicia is aware and endures it with the proviso that he is “discreet” and won’t publicly embarrass her. Their unconventional marriage is severely tested and nearly unravels when eldest daughter Jamie (Maya Hawke) confronts her father, who flatly denies those “rumors”. Luckily his career continues its upward trajectory with acclaimed concerts and Broadway hits like “Candide” and the iconic “West Side Story”. But soon the issues of “cheating” are dwarfed by the health crisis that may finish off the Bernstein family.
Though originally seen as another handsome leading man, Cooper proves to be a gifted character actor as the artistic titan of the twentieth century. Bernstein is a complex role requiring Cooper to exude some of his screen charisma to draw in the masses during his concerts. The sequences of him conducting full orchestras, choirs, and combinations of both are truly dazzling with Cooper seemingly super-charged with the energy of the music muses. Much the same can be said of his creative epiphanies as his artistic zeal consumes everyone around him, especially his collaborators. But with those passions came the appetites for pleasure, giving us the impression that his ego was beyond earthly moral standards, with no interest in the impact of his indulgencies. Part of this leads to the great romance of his life and its near disintegration. Cooper has found the ideal screen partner for the love of Lenny’s life. Mulligan projects wisdom and strength giving Felicia a regal aura that masks her pain over her hubby’s often flagrant callousness. And as the demon of disease envelops her, Mulligan shows us her agony but also her determination to not “go gently into that goodnight”. In the supporting roles, Hawke projects the fizzy spirit of youth while dealing with some major parental confusion. And gifted comic actress Sarah Silverman flits in and out as Lenny’s glamorous, “smart set” sister Shirley, dopping “dishy” remarks.
Amazingly Cooper brings as much energy and creativity to his work behind the camera. He’s chosen to recreate the decades with a stunning switch in color, or lack of, as the 40s and 50s are splashed on the screen in shimmering strokes of black and white (big praise for cinematographer Matthew Libatique), then abruptly explodes with saturated colors for the swinging 60’s and 70’s (ah, the deep tans over Bernstein’s aging face). The vintage sets, props, and fashion keep right up the times. And they need to keep up with Cooper’s storytelling skills as a maze on stage suddenly switches to a full-on stage spectacle. Oh, and what sequences, the highlight being a breathtaking, jaw-dropping recreation of the presentation of Mahler at the Ely Cathedral which feels like one glorious supreme take. Luckily Cooper brings the same spirit to the more intimate scenes, particularly a nasty, verbal showdown over a beloved holiday. A similar technique is used to show the couple’s initial attraction as Lenny describes his new work about sailors on leave and is suddenly twirling and leaping with the “gobs”. Wisely, the movie’s superb score is all music created by Bernstein for various projects (there’s a great snippet from “West Side Story” while eschewing any theatrical recreations). Hopefully, this will inspire younger viewers to seek out his recordings, while for those of us who grew up with those “Young People’s Concerts” this will remind us of his fabulous legacy. And thanks to the talented Cooper, this MAESTRO is truly masterful.
Does something magical happen when you create music? Many folks believe that. Perhaps a main proponent of that notion is Irish filmmaker John Carney. He’s illustrated that belief in a trilogy of beloved films: ONCE, BEGIN AGAIN, and SING STREET. And now he’s stretched that trilogy into a “quadrilogy” (perhaps calling them a quartet is more in line with the music themes) with his new film opening this weekend. But this tune-filled dramedy has a “hook” that is almost universal. Here the songs are in service of mending a family. It can’t completely repair this particular family, but it may just bring this single mother and her teenage son a tad closer, so at least they’re not spending their evenings screaming at one another. Adding to the tension is their “hand-to-mouth” existence, being part of the hard-working lower middle class of Ireland. That’s the setting for the story of this dup, hence the title FLORA AND SON.
When we first meet Flora (Eve Hewson), she’s charging into the local pub-turned-disco, at “full speed”, hand in hand with her best “gal pal”. Soon they’re splitting up on the dance floor in search of “after-hours companionship”. And when her “overnight guest” at her shabby apartment hears mention of her son, he practically bursts out the front door ala’ the Kool-Aid Man. Soon we meet that fourteen-year-old son Max (Oren Kinlan) when a local constable comes over to deliver a stern warning about his petty thievery. One more “pinch” and he’s in the “system”. When the “bobby” leaves, the two begin their regular “screamfest”. Flora is not getting any help from Max’s dad, Ian (Jack Reynor), a former rock bassist who’s now sharing a nicer pad with his wealthy new girlfriend, though Ian gets Max on most weekends. Hmm, Max has inherited his pop’s musical interests, though Max is more into rap and techno-pop. When Flora sees a beaten-up guitar sticking out of a dumpster, she grabs it, has it repaired, and gifts it to Max as a belated birthday present. And…he wants no part of it (cue another nasty “row”). But it grabs the interest of Flora, especially after seeing a singing competition sign outside a nearby bar. Now she’s got to learn to play it. After viewing countless video pitches for online lessons, she settles on a hunky, “mellow dude” from the States, Jeff (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). After an awkward first session, the two begin to connect through the “web”. Could this become more than a “teacher/student” rapport, even though he’s thousands of miles away? And what of Max? Could music mend the estranged mother/son bond? More importantly, could this shared passion keep Max on the “straight and narrow” and out of the detention facility?
She’s the first name in the title and really the first person on screen, so I’ll start off singing (not as nicely as the leads do) the praises of Ms. Hewson as the delightfully shocking, sometimes abrasive, and always unpredictable Flora. She provides the pulsing beat to this story as we watch her fighting the courts, her friends, her ex, and her own inner insecurities. Hewson perfectly captures Flora’s “take no prisoners’ stance, but she also shows us how this “tough mama” tries to onceal her worries and concerns, especially for “and son”. I’ll get to him in a moment since Hewson’s strongest scene partner may be that “laid-back” charmer, Mr. Gordon-Levitt. Denied physical interaction, JGL’s Jeff communicates with his crooning and through his questioning eyes. Jeff’s struggling to keep a “professional distance”, though we seem him letting his guard down as this Irish “wild card” draws him in, and, somehow, becomes his teacher. And now to Max, who starts off an a smarmy punk, but Kinlan gives him a sad vulnerability. whether yearning to fit in with the “lads” or impress the local “video vixen”.Max has an emdearing awkwardness which offsets his boasting rap lyrics (which are truly hysterical). And proving that the “apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”, his equally talented pop Ian also scores lots of laughs thanks to the warm, comedic turn by Reynor (so good in Carney’s SING STREET). We’re set up to dislike him as a “deadbeat dad”, but we soon see that Ian is trying to “step up”, and is eventually drawn back into his boy’s life via music (Reynor’s face as he hears Max’s song mix is priceless).
Oh, I forgot to mention that this smart script is also from director Carney. He deftly balances the scenes showing the joy of musical creation with some hilarious exchanges. and plenty of heart-breaking drama. At the story’s onset, it appears that Max will not find his way and will soon be crushed by society. We can see how Flora becomes his lifeline by never giving up or giving in. Plus we get to witness her renewed joy and happiness. Though she’s inspired by that contest money, the music becomes the oxygen invigorating her. Carney makes that part of the tale come alive using a clever visual trick to break through the laptop screen to forge an intimate connection between Flora and Jeff. And though everything’s not neatly wrapped up by the sweet finale, we’re left with hope for all the principals. Sure, it’s another charming ode to melody from Mr. Carney, but it’s also a wondrous story of a fractured family who can learn a new way to harmonize. To put it simply, FLORA AND SON truly hits all the right notes.
3.5 Out of 4
FLORA AND SON is now playing at select theatres and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas. It also streams exclusively on AppleTV+ beginning on Friday, September 29, 2023
The film year of 2022 pretty much ended with a “music biopic”, WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (at least I’m making it the “year’s end” as it was the last advance screening I attended). It did fairly well at the box office but didn’t come close to the critical and award accolades of BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY or JUDY. But that’s not going to halt Hollywood from “mining” this material, and so we’re getting a tune-filled “true” tale at the end of 2023’s first quarter. Oh, but this has a twist in that it doesn’t center around a beloved performer. No, this concerns the head of a record company. Yeah kids, in those ancient days before streaming and downloading, people went to brick-and-mortar stores and bought discs produced by these companies AKA recording labels. And one of the biggest of them in the mid-70s into the early 80s was an “upstart” dubbed Casablanca Records, whose goal was to produce “top of the charts” hits. And for a time they were very adept at SPINNING GOLD.
The name of the company is a knowing wink at their “head honcho”, the flamboyant “schmoozer” who named himself Neil Bogart (Jeremy Jordon), hence he’s no relation to the 40s film icon. After a fluffy bit of fantasy involving the tune “Oh, Happy Day”, and a disastrous “showcase” for one of his (eventual) “super-bands”, he guides us through his early years, bouncing from job to job while watching his hustling pop Al (Jason Isaacs) fail to grab the “gold ring”. He meets his future wife Beth (Michelle Monaghan) while teaching dance lessons at her family’s hotel. Soon after, he’s a promoter for MGM records (even scoring as a singer with a “single” tune), which leads to a big spot at “indie” Buddha Records. But Neil has dreams of his own company, so with a few “shady loans from casino mogul Big Joey (Vincent Pastore), he creates Casablanca Records along with a loyal motel crew/staffers (Peyton List, Jay Pharoah, Dan Fogler, and James Wolk). After “poaching” a few established music stars like the Isley Brothers and Gladys Knight, the team hunts for new “properties”. Giorgio Moroder (Sebastian Maniscalo) has produced a unique sound with a transplanted US vocalist in Germany, Donna Summer (Tayla Parx), but what really interests Neil is this hard-rockin’ band that mixes make-up, kinky black jumpsuits, and pyrotechnics called Kiss. And he’s really, really interested in their manager Joyce (Lyndsy Fonseca). Over the next few years, Neil and his posse dodge creditors, evade vengeful record rivals and sign hitmakers like the Village People, Bill Withers, and Parliment as they ride the roller coaster of fame and fortune. But can Steven keep his professional and personal life from crumbling as the temptations of the time, especially that “nose candy”, lure him into a downward spiral?
Making extensive use of his stage musical skills (the original Broadway “Newsies”), Jordan’s giving it his all to make Bogart an endearing “wildcard”. It all comes together best when Jordan joins the “hitmakers’ during the creative process, especially with Knight (who’d take a “Midnight Train to Houston”), but he flounders when the script tries to get past Bogart’s moral failing, making his repeated defense of his adultery, “It’s complicated”, a lazy punchline. In order to make this complex, flawed character work, perhaps a more seasoned screen presence was needed, though Jordan is a talent on the rise. Monaghan is captivating as the first wife under his spell, but the story jettisons her in the last act, reducing her to Neil’s suffering “doormat”, while Fonseca’s Joyce pushes against the “other woman” label, she’s fair too tolerant of Neil’s recklessness. Isaac’s as the neer-do-well papa drops into the tale randomly, to remind Neil of his roots and to show him that the “apple doesn’t fall far…”. Wolk, List, and Gad are almost interchangeable as Neil’s “funky flunkies” (Gad is the go-to comic “pitbull”), but SNL vet Pharoah is effective as Neil’s “window to reality”. Ditto for another “SNL-er”, Chris Redd as a DJ who becomes the “well-oiled” doorway for Casablanca’s product. Unfortunately, the funny Maniscalo has little to do as producer Moroder, other than affect a low ethnic rumble line delivery. Of the label’s “talent,” the stand-outs are Casey Like as the surly mercenary Kiss frontman Gene Simmons and Parx as the often perplexed but sultry songstress Summer.
Since the person at the heart of this biopic is the son of the main subject (with his other heirs listed as producers, you might think that Timothy Scott Bogart had written and directed an affectionate “fluff piece”, extolling his pop’s genius. Well, there’s a bit of that, though he doesn’t gloss over the “dents and dings” in Neil’s armor. Yup, the high points of his legacy shine through, with some stars getting better treatment than others (why do the Village People only get a minute or so, almost as an afterthought). We’re meant to think of Neil as a charming “rascal”, a “bad boy” made good by out-hustling “the squares”. But mostly his showboating comes off as a flashy arrogance, a grating ‘showboat” constantly pulling fiery magician’s flash-paper out of his pockets (what “money man” would take him seriously). we even get an ongoing “debt or profit” title card for “time jumps”. Like his tricks, Neil and his antics become tiresome over the over two-hour runtime. Ditto for the 70s fashions and facial hair (it’s kitschy, we get it) and the constant chainsmoking (an excuse for the young cast to seem cooler and “edgy”). And could they have picked a more cliched final fadeout tune? Despite its “adult themes” (a recent hyped-up movie ursine would snort it up), this “jukebox musical life story” seems more suited to basic cable TV. The end result is closer to zirconium with the ponderous SPINNING GOLD.
1.5 Out of 4
SPINNING GOLD opens in select theatres on Friday, March 31, 2023
The new documentary HALLELUJAH: LEONARD COHEN, A JOURNEY, A SONG is a double biography of sorts, of beloved Canadian-Jewish songwriter/singer Leonard Cohen, who has had a cult-like following, particularly among musicians, and his most famous song “Hallelujah,” a song that seems to be everywhere and has taken on a life of its own, transforming from a more sacred form about King David to more secular form that appears in countless movie soundtracks and has become a favorite at weddings, funerals and singing contest. This excellent documentary, from co-directors Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine, has plenty for both long-time fans and those new to the musician’s work.
Unlike some previous documentaries about Leonard Cohen, who passed away in 2016, this one focuses more on his career and its evolution than on his personal or romantic life. The admiring, insightful documentary also incorporates a look at how the musician’s Jewish background, and his explorations of Judaism and Buddhism, impacted his work.
The well-researched HALLELUJAH: LEONARD COHEN, A JOURNEY, A SONG has a wealth of material, including plenty of concert footage, archival photos and interview footage with the late musician. Inspired by Alan Light’s non-fiction book “The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley & the Unlikely Ascent of Hallelujah,” the documentary features interviews with fellow musicians and admirers Judy Collins, Rufus Wainwright, and Glen Hazard, along with former Rolling Stone music journalist Larry “Ratso” Sloman, Cohen’s producer/co-composer/collaborator John Lissauer as well as long-time friends and even his rabbi. Directors Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine structure the documentary in a different way, bracketing their tracing the journey of that song, with the story of Cohen’s career and his personal and often spiritual journey as a songwriter.
The documentary follows Cohen’s early career and his transition from poet and literary light to musician and songwriter, up to his release of his famous song, then switching to tracing the journey of that song as others recorded it and altered it, and then returning to the tale of its creator, including how the growing fame of the song altered his life and career.
Born to a wealthy Orthodox Jewish Canadian family in Quebec, Leonard Cohen came to music a bit late, at age 30 when he was already a novelist and a poet acclaimed in literary circles. First a poet and later a songwriter, his lyrics were honest and open rather than comforting, with a knowing, dark humor. His Lithuanian-born mother was the daughter of a rabbi and Talmudic writer and there were prominent figures of Jewish life on his father’s side as well.
When Cohen turned to music in the late ’60s, he was embraced by Judy Collins, Bob Dylan and other folk rock greats and developed a cult following, but wide fame eluded him. Other musicians loved Cohen’s songs, with their poetic, deeply-thoughtful lyrics that didn’t always fit into neat categories. His song “Suzanne” became a hit for Judy Collins, but wider popular fame like Judy Collins and Bob Dylan achieved, remained elusive for Cohen. A partnering with famed producer Phil Spector proved unsatisfying and Cohen found a better producing partner in John Lissauer
Cohen’s most famous song is thought to have as as many as 150 verses, which allows for its many versions. Cohen worked on the song for about seven years, a time that overlapped with his exploration of kabbalah and the Torah. He first performed it it was as a more sacred song, about King David, He recorded that version with producer John Lissauer in 1983 for his album “Various Positions,” an album that his label Columbia Records disliked and declined to release in the U.S. (although another label later did release it).
The label later dropped him, but Cohen kept working on the song. As he toured, the song lyrics evolved from sacred to secular, with some verses frankly sexual. Meanwhile, other musicians took note of the song. John Cale recorded a cover of it, combining verses from the sacred and secular versions, which was followed by Jeff Buckley’s recording of that version. A music producer working on the animated movie “Shrek,” took the Buckley version, sanitized the lyrics, and included it in the soundtrack. A phenomenon was born.
The documentary follows the song’s long and winding road, which took some very unusual turns. It might be true that at one point Leonard Cohen’s song was famous than he was, and certainly there are people who know the song and have no idea he wrote it. Many people who may never have heard of Leonard Cohen first became familiar with the song as part the sound track for the animated movie SHREK. The song has been included on countless other movie soundtracks, has been used for singing contests and has become a favorite at both weddings and funerals, often with singers or listeners unaware of its strange history.
It is a strange situation for such a revered songwriter but the success of the song enabled a wider audience for the musician later in his career, a satisfying outcome. Cohen himself was pleased with the success of the song, as he says in one of the many interviews in this fine documentary. We hear Cohen reflect on his song, the impact it had on his later life, with a kind of paternal pride that it has gone so far, a satisfying insight.
One intriguing aspect of the film are excerpts from Cohen’s song-writing journals, giving a rare glimpse into his process. Interviews also support this focus, delving deep into Cohen as a poet/songwriter and Jewish spiritual explorer. A long period of living at Zen monastery is followed by a return to Judaism and life as a musician. In featured interview clips, Cohen seemed at peace with his moderate career, as he returned to touring, enjoying an extra level of late-life fame that came with the popularity of “Hallelujah,” until his death at age 82 in 2016.
There is so much that is surprising, intriguing, and deeply insightful about Leonard Cohen’s life in this film, and co-directors Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine do a marvelous job of bringing all that out and weaving it all into an very enjoyable and informative experience.
HALLELUJAH: LEONARD COHEN, A JOURNEY, A SONG opens Friday, July 29, in theaters.
In a rhinestone-studded, cinematic extravaganza, director Baz Luhrmann gives Elvis Presley his signature dazzle treatment in an energetic epic tale about Elvis but told through the eyes of his scheming manager Colonel Tom Parker. Parker is played by a winking, sinister Tom Hanks in a riveting performance. By rights, the film really should be called “Elvis and the Colonel” or maybe the reverse, as Tom Hanks’ Parker is a dominate presence, serving as our master of ceremonies and narrating events from his point-of-view. Elvis is played winningly by Austin Butler, who not only looks like Elvis but sings some of his early hits while performing with hip-swiveling verve.
Luhrmann’s ELVIS is less a straight-forward admiring biopic than a magical fairy-tale built around the complicated relationship between the singer and his shady manager. The young Elvis makes a deal with the slick Parker that is a double-edged sword, bringing fame along with a Faustian bargain.
This drama may not be what Elvis fans expect but it is a colorful, entertaining film that casts the two central figures in Presley’s life as forces of light and dark. Such a good-versus-evil lens almost requires a less than completely truthful approach to the facts, and indeed ELVIS is no documentary. Instead it is a lightning-in-a-bottle kind of film, but one which does not require a viewer to be an Elvis fan, only be interested in the magic of stardom and star-making. For those of us who are more Baz Luhrmann fans than Elvis fans, as is the case for this author, ELVIS delivers on big entertainment. Luhrmann is noted for colorful, energetic, imaginative films like MOULIN ROUGE and THE GREAT GATSBY, and this one fits neatly in that category. His films are not to everyone’s taste but they do deliver color-drenched, visually-electrifying cinematic experiences.
Tom Hanks’ Parker claims to be the man who gave the world Elvis, in an opening scene. Luhrmann’s choice to focus on the complex relationship between the manager and the singer makes the film more interesting and compelling than a simple biopic. Tom Parker was no colonel, merely adopting a courtesy title common in Old Southern tradition, and his real name was not Parker either. What he was was a con man straight out of carny life, something the character admits in early on in voice-over. He was a man with a murky, secretive past who may have been born in Holland, but someone always on the hunt for talent to promote and from which to profit.
Elvis, played by Austin Butler (could there be a more perfect Southern moniker?), fit the bill when Col. Parker (Hanks) spots the young ambitious singer while touring with squeaky-clean country musician Hank Snow (David Wenham) and his musician wannabee son Jimmie Rodgers Snow (Kodi Smit-McPhee).When Parker sees Elvis perform and his audience go wild, Parker recognizes Elvis Presley is just what radio stations in the racially-segregated 1950s were salivating for: a white man who could sing Black music and perform it with that same wild energy. Parker knows he has found gold.
ELVIS is filled with Luhrmann razzle-dazzle and beautiful over-the-top delights, with Col. Parker coming across as a carnival barker luring us in. But it also is clear that Luhrmann is an Elvis fan, and his Elvis, played with smoldering charm by handsome Austin Butler. is like a force of nature, singing with irresistible force while wiggling and gyrating sexily across stage. “Elvis the Pelvis” was something that hit female audiences like a thunderbolt in the sexually-repressive ’50s, and the film captures that magic with bravura. Tom Hanks’ Col. Parker styles himself as the puppet master but the singer’s connection to his audience makes it clear he just hitched his wagon to that thunderbolt, a popular culture phenomenon that had mid-century America all shook up – uh-huh.
Most are familiar with Elvis’s complicated, exploitative relationship with Parker but Luhrmann and Tom Hanks squeeze every drop of drama from that, while still covering the outlines of Presley’s life. Luhrmann goes with that Faustian theme, giving Parker a carny sideshow, con man aspect that the film’s Parker himself embraces, which gives the drama a glittery surface with a dark undercurrent.
Elvis is played by Austin Butler with convincing sincerity and hip-swiveling skill. Butler plays young Elvis as a sort of innocent drawn into the Colonel’s seductive, slippery carnival world with promises of fame and riches. But his Elvis also has boundless ambition and a rebel streak that makes him chafe at the Colonel’s efforts to sanitize his image.
The film has a surprising honesty about Presley’s debt, musically and in performance style, to Black musicians, with bits featuring Little Richard (Alton Mason), B.B. King (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and other greats. It is something the real Elvis himself acknowledged but is too often seems downplayed in adoring bios, in favor of focusing instead on his roots in gospel (again, shared by many Black musicians). Luhrmann is careful to correct some of that, although it does over-correct a bit with barely a nod to Black churches and only a little on Elvis’ love of gospel music. Presley grew up poor in the South, surrounded by Black musicians and their music, so it is natural that would be the music he played, gospel and blues along with country and early rock. He just happened to be white, and therefore acceptable to the music business of the racist, segregated 1950s. Elliott Wheeler and Anton Monsted’s musical score brings in more of Black voices, both Elvis’s contemporaries in enjoyable film segments and current Black artists in the sound track.
There is less honesty about Elvis’s other aspects of his career and life. His relationship with his wife Priscilla is depicted in glowing terms, with the film baldly failing to note her age – fourteen – when the 24-year-old Presley first met her. It works for Luhrmann’s purposes to sanitize Elvis a bit to increase the contrast with Parker, but a little more truth about Elvis’s well-known shortcomings might have been more convincing. The film also skips the singer’s strange meeting with Richard Nixon and glosses over how the pop music cultural earthquake caused by the Beatles and the British Invasion changed the direction of rock music and sent Elvis over to country music radio stations, something that sparked an Elvis-versus-Beatles pop music fan divide that persisted for years. Instead, ELVIS steers away from those negatives, personal and professional, to present Elvis in a more positive light, in better contrast with the sinister Col. Parker.
And sinister is the right word for the film’s exploitative Parker, something that Tom Hanks gleefully leans into. Tom Hanks gives a gripping, award-worthy performance as Col. Parker, a slick character who has a mysterious past. Tom Hanks’ Parker openly talks to the audience about being a con man but he is less forthcoming about his own past and even country of origin. That good-and evil contrast between Parker and Presley means the film also leans into the melodrama, although Luhrmann makes that work for the film’s entertainment value. And this film is highly entertaining, as long as one goes along with what it is and doesn’t expect it to be what it is not.
Austin Butler does his own singing as the young Presley and delivers a moving, smoldering performance as the ambitious young singer, struggling against restraints that Parker imposes. In the later Vegas years, Butler gives a very convincing stage performance, although it is mostly Presley’s voice we hear and Butler never does say “thank you, thank you very much.” This may be a star-making role for Butler, who has only been seen in a few supporting roles prior to this.
As you would expect from Luhrmann, the film is visually dazzling, full of color and movement, like a candy-colored carnival ride, which is very fitting for the subject. ELVIS was filmed, not in Memphis, but in Luhrmann’s native Australia, with the director carefully recreating important locations from Presley’s life. With its focus on the relationship between Elvis and the Colonel, it spends less time on Elvis’ childhood but does present his close relationship with his beloved mother Gladys (Helen Thomson) and less close relationship with his ineffective father Vernon (Richard Roxburgh), as well as Parker’s exploitation of Presley’s warm feelings about family. Yet everything is presented in a glowing, neon light, the good and the bad.
Once the film gets to the Elvis movies and the Vegas era, the film loses some steam, just as Presley’s career did, but the film is never ceases to keep us engaged and entertained. There is an emotionally complex moment when Austin Butler’s Presley finally realizes the truth of the deal he made with Parker, a low moment for the singer that is coupled with his growing health issues and personal issues. Late in the film, it gives Elvis fans a special treat, with moving archival footage of the real Elvis in a late-life Las Vegas performance, an overweight but still charismatic Elvis seated at a piano in his big-collared, sequined costume and crooning affectionately to his adoring fans. It is a sweet, event bittersweet, note to end the film, one that might touch even non-Elvis fans.
ELVIS offers an entertaining carnival ride version of Elvis Presley’s and Tom Parker’s story, suffused with Baz Luhrmann’s color-drenched signature style, and elevated with an award-worthy turn by Tom Hanks as the manipulative, mysterious Tom Parker and a breakout charismatic performance by Austin Butler as Elvis. If you are a fan of either Baz Luhrmann or Elvis Presley, this one hits the mark.
Only a couple of days into June and the movies are bombarding us with some nifty vacation options. Let’s see, we just took a wild funny trek to FIRE ISLAND in the northeastern part of the country, so where “to” now virtually? Well, the last one was a scripted twist on the “rom-com”, so how about a non-fiction flick? Yes, a documentary feature (now don’t you whine and cry “Homework?!”), but it’s also a concert overview. In fact, it’s a toe-tapping delight, much in the vein of last year’s Oscar-winner (and crowd-pleaser) SUMMER OF SOUL. We’re still in the good ole’ US of A, but a lot further south and a bit west. And though this on-the-bayou burg is known usually for one type of tune, this film looks at an annual event that’s a celebration of all things musical from all around the world. Let’s get an “ear’ and an “eye-full” of the talents on display in JAZZ FEST: A NEW ORLEANS STORY.
The filmmakers were fortunate to speak with the man who was there from the beginning, the fest’s founder jazz mogul George Wein. After his success with the Newport Jazz Festival, Louisana locals contacted him to put together something similar in the “Big Easy”. But in 1962 the still “on the books” “Jim Crow” laws prohibited blacks and whites from mixing at most public venues. But seven years later, JC was history and Wein enlisted an enthusiastic young man, Quint Davis (also interviewed) to run the two-week music explosion over at the Fair Grounds Race Course. The doc then delves deep into the archives to give us an overview of the amazing talents that headlined through the five decades. And of course, many of the current tunesmiths sit down to offer their reflections on performing there, including the doc’s co-producer Jimmy Buffet. The cameras put us right on stage, then out in the vast standing audience to witness the magical connection between the two. We’re also there as the crews put up massive tents and stages, while the chefs and services whip up tons of tantalizing local cuisine (good thing this isn’t in “Smell-o-vision”). It’s an astounding achievement, even more so when the fest returned just weeks after the city was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. But it endures until… the pandemic. The film concludes with its triumphant revival only weeks ago providing not only a “happy ending’ but a continuing showcase for an unstoppable city and its people.
Fifty years of a fabulous fest would be a daunting task for anyone to fit into a 94-minute film, but directors Ryan Suffern and Frank Marshall (acclaimed producer/filmmaker who helmed an excellent recent HBO Bee Gee “bio-doc”) are more than up for the challenge. Unlike the earlier mentioned SUMMER OF SOUL, they opted for a grand “overview” with snippets from dozens of groups, giving us a taste of the fest’s variety, while also scoring some exceptional “talking head” testimony from an eclectic array of talents, along with organizers Wein and Davis. This brings up my only problem (and it’s tiny, I confess). One of the earliest interview subjects is Tom Jones, so naturally, I waited in anticipation for the Welsh “super-soulman” to dominate that stage. Nope. Not even a couple of bars of “Delilah”. Oh well. Ah, but within this tuneful buffet ( a little portion, here, a smidgeon of this), there are real standout “sets’. the archival footage includes the amazing B.B. King and the “re-invention” of Rev. Al Green. Aside from Buffet, there’s Earth, Wind, and Fire and Pitbull’s sweaty, sexy spectacle. Most surprising is the gospel section which includes a church choir backing up Katy Pery (no new interview, though) on “Oh Happy Day”. But even more moving is the “Boss” himself Bruce Springstein saluting the city’s survival from Katrina with “Rise Up”. Happily, there’s a brief history of the town’s ongoing musical traditions, including those funeral marches which are almost topped by the incredible local culinary delights. You may want to make sure you have dinner or lunch before seeing this, although you may wish that you’d indulged in crawfish and gumbo. It’s quite an engaging and compelling salute to (the actual event moniker) the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. And if you’re still a tad uneasy with traveling to be with the enthusiastic throngs then JAZZ FEST: A NEW ORLEANS STORY will still inspire you to “bust a move” in the comfort of your theatre seat.
3.5 Out of 5
JAZZ FEST: A NEW ORLEANS STORY is now playing in select theatres
Emilia Jones as Ruby in “CODA,” premiering globally on Apple TV+ on August 13, 2021. Photo courtesy of Apple TV+
CODA is writer/director Sian Heder’s charming coming of age comedy/drama about the daughter of a family of scrappy, independent fishermen, who all happen to be deaf except her. CODA means “child of deaf adults” but it also has a musical meaning, making it the perfect title for a film about a teen with a passion for singing, something her family neither hears nor comprehends.
With deaf actors in the roles of the girl’s brother and parents, including Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin as her feisty mother, and wonderful performances all around, writer/director Sian Heder’s often-funny, warm tale of a family, different from the ordinary and yet not, is sure to bring smiles and delight audiences.
CODA has been praised by deaf communities both for casting deaf actors in the roles and for its realistic depiction of a deaf family. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, along with other awards, and is a true crowd-pleaser that also impresses with its authenticity. Shot on location in Gloucester, Massachusetts, it is an American remake of the 2014 French film LA FAMILLE BÉLIER with a strong, and surprisingly international, cast.
CODA certainly does feel authentic, but the film’s appeal goes beyond that, with its focus on believable family dynamics and distinctive personalities, where the parents’ deafness is just a part of the picture. CODA is, at its heart, a coming-of-age story more than anything, with a delightful performance by English actress Emilia Jones as a girl who loves her quirky family but has ambitions that are just different from family tradition.
Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) is a 17-year-old living in the coastal Massachusetts town of Gloucester, where she is the only hearing member of her fishing family. Every morning before school, Ruby joins her father Frank (Troy Kotsur) and older brother Leo (Daniel Durant) on their fishing boat. Having Ruby on the boat allows them to monitor the radio for alerts and communicate with hearing fisherman and those who buy the catch on the dock when they return. At home, her mother (Marlee Matlin) does the bookkeeping for the family business. At school, Ruby faces some bullying but having best friend Gertie (Canadian actress Amy Forsyth) to count on helps.
As the film works through the family dynamics, it also explores Ruby’s budding interest in singing when she impulsively signs up for choir. The choir teacher Bernardo Villalobos (Mexican actor/comedian Eugenio Derbez), also know as Mr. V, is a quirky character but despite Ruby’s shyness, he recognizes her talent. Mr. V suggests she apply to a music college in Boston, even offering to coach her for the audition. Suiting the interests of his students in this fishing village, he picks a classic pop ballad to prepare for Ruby’s audition. For the upcoming school concert, the teacher also pairs her with Miles (Irish actor/musician Ferdia Walsh-Peelo), a boy Ruby is interested in.
Ultimately, a crisis in the family business arises and Ruby is faced with a choice between her own ambitions and her family.
Writer/director Sian Heder hails from Massachusetts, although not from Gloucester, so she understands the strong family fishing tradition in this part of New England. The Rossi family has done this for generations, as dad Frank tells us, and they are counting on Ruby to help continue the family business, and even more so as the only hearing one in the family. That the rest of her family can’t hear the singing Ruby loves doing, just makes it all the more difficult for them to understand her passion.
In many ways, it is just like any family business, where a child develops an interest far outside its expectations and traditions. But Ruby’s ability to hear is a particularly useful skill for her deaf family, enabling them to keep more of their aloofness from the hearing community around them than they might otherwise. Her parents’ dependence on Ruby to do these things puts pressure on her and frustrates their son Leo, who reads lips, and wants to do more to help them deal with the hearing community the surrounds them.
While some elements of the story are familiar, the script handles them very well. But the real appeal of the film is its characters and the performances. All the actors are terrific, especially Emilia Jones as Ruby, who is a complete charmer, and completely believable, beaming with energy and high spirits, and bouncing back from set-backs with determination, despite her shyness and normal teen self-doubts. She is perfect in the ensemble scenes with the family, and both cute and self-possessed in the ones with love-interest Ferdia Walsh-Peelo as Miles.
The scenes with the family are delightful, as they joke and tease. The use of sign language and Ruby’s combination of signing and speaking is handled so well that we never are confused about what is going on, and the snappy banter and warm quirky family scenes move smoothly at a brisk but clear pace.
By casting deaf actors, the film goes a long way towards getting things right from the start. As her parents, Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur are perfectly cast as a couple, and completely delightful, funny and loving and with a nice together-we-can -do-anything feeling. As Ruby’s older brother, Daniel Durant is excellent as well, presenting his struggle to assert himself as an asset to the family and his own independence, while engaging in playful sibling teasing with his sister.
Some of the funniest, most appealing scenes are with this lively family. Humor dominates the family scenes, along with a sassy, thumbing-their-noses-at-the-world independence. The family scenes are the film’s highlights, and the ensemble acting is wonderful. Marlee Matlin, unsurprisingly, shines as the still-sexy mom and Troy is appealing as Ruby’s rebellious but loving dad. The sibling squabbling between Ruby and Leo is spot on as well.
Unlike some deaf families, the Rossis do not live in a community of deaf people but of hearing ones, and see their deaf friends infrequently. The family lives apart from the rest of the community, in an appealing kind of close-knit, defiant independence. Dad comes from a long line of New England fishermen, mom was a model in her youth, and despite years of marriage, they can’t keep their hands off each other. Although their older child Leo, played well by Daniel Durant, is also deaf, he reads lips and feels much more comfortable interacting with the hearing community than his parents do. He would like to have a more active role in helping them but they continually turn to their hearing daughter for that role, much to Leo’s frustration.
As the film works through the family dynamics, it also explores Ruby’s growing ambitions and passion for singing, and her budding romantic interest in Miles.
Ruby’s quirky music teacher Mr. V, provides a big dose of humor. Mr. V is a bit of a character as well as an immigrant, in a town that seems to have few of them, and Eugenio Derbez creates one of the film’s funniest, most memorable characters who as much as outsider as Ruby feels she is in her small town. His outsider status and his skill as a teacher help her see beyond the fishing boat and her life with her loving but inward-looking family.
There are a lot of parallels to the immigrant experience to Ruby’s “outsider” family in CODA. One can see echos of stories of second-generation children, who have a foot in both worlds, the “new” and the “old” with Ruby, among them that she says that when she started school, kids teased her for her “deaf accent,” referring to the distinctive speech style of deaf people who are taught to speak, a nice detail which reveals that her loving parents did their best for their hearing daughter by speaking to her.
Subtle insights like that are woven smoothly into Heder’s well-written script. Heder’s script is well-crafted, effective, warm and entertaining, the direction is seamless and skillful, and the characters are memorable, particularly Ruby and her charmingly quirky family.
CODA’s characters are so appealing in their feisty quirkiness and family warmth, that it is the kind of film you will want to revisit. The story is both universal and unique to these characters, and that is a combination that is hard to beat.
CODA, the winner of the 2022 Oscars for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay and with Troy Kotsur winning for Best Supporting Actor, re-opens Friday, April 1, at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinema and is streaming on Apple TV+.
(from left) Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez) and Charlie Gilbert (Owen Wilson) in Marry Me, directed by Kat Coiro.
So you didn’t think that I WANT YOU BACK would be the only “rom-com” feature dropping on this pre-Valentine’s Day weekend? Did you? I mean there’s got to be one to play the multiplexes since the other flick is only streaming (well, this one’s doing both actually), right? Oh, and this new release is the long-awaited return to the genre by the multi-talented (all manner of media, really) star that some have dubbed (heard it on one of the morning TV chat shows just the other day) “the patron saint of rom-coms”. Now don’t expect her to be a demure passive heroine this time out. Her demands and agenda pretty much boil down to two words: MARRY ME (Imagine the length of that queue, yeesh).
The lady with that simple request is worldwide pop sensation Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez). Her decades-long popularity has gotten a big “bump” recently with her very public romance with “up and coming ” crooner Bastian (Maluma). They’ve got a duet that’s at the top of the charts, “Marry Me”, and actually plan on tieing the knot at the conclusion of their joint concert spectacular (beamed around the globe, of course) at NYC’s Madison Square Garden. Miles away from the whirlwind of planning and “prep”, middle school math teacher and divorced dad Charlie Gilbert (Owen Wilson) is taking his pre-teen daughter Lou (Chloe Coleman) to school (he works there, she attends). Naturally, she wants to distance herself from him, upcoming her “coolness cred”. In between classes, guidance counselor and pal Parker Debbs (Sarah Silverman) tells Charlie that she now has two extra tickets to the sold-out Kat and Bastian concert (her ex-girlfriend and her new GF bailed). Charlie reluctantly agrees in order to impress Lou. But things don’t quite go as planned at the big multi-media event. Minutes before the nuptials, as Kat dons her sparkly wedding gown, Page Six drops a big scandal on their website, complete with a “hidden camera” video. A stunned and shocked Kat silences the orchestra and addresses the audience. As she scans the crowd she spots Charlie holding Lou’s makeshift poster board that says “Marry Me”. Kat beckons him to the stage. The wedding will go on, but with a new groom. Concerned about Kat’s state of mind, Charlie agrees and the two exchange “I do’s”. Backstage the pair, go their separate ways, with Kat’s flabbergasted manager Collin (John Bradley) insisting that he will have it all annulled within hours and monetarily compensate Charlie. But Kat’s got other ideas after a brief conversation with Charlie generates sparks. Could this impromptu gesture actually turn into something? But can their very different worlds mesh?
That “patron saint’ is Lopez of course, who seems to be taking somewhat of a career “backstep”, as this is her first feature since her lauded bravada turn three years ago as the “stripper pole queen” of HUSTLERS. At least Kat is a bit closer to her own ‘perceived’ persona, a “meta skewing’ of the publicity chaos that appears to surround her 24/7. Still, she brings a real change to the character as she emerges from the “bubble” and learns to “walk amongst the mortals” and truly connect. That main “mortal man” is the always charming Wilson who still has that affable everyman vibe (guessing if the flick was made 75 years ago, Jimmy Stewart would “aw shucks” he way with it). His Charlie bonds with everyone, especially his “math team”, but Wilson still gives him a wry attitude as he makes subtle digs at the “superstar” life. Rounding out this unlikely “love triangle” is Bastian played by Columbian heartthrob Maluma in his big feature film debut (though we can hear him in ENCANTO). He earns kudos for playing up all the “diva arrogance’ as he practically spits venom at Charlie as he tries to slither his way back to Kat. Also scoring is Ms. Coleman who is endearing as Charlie’s daughter trying to “find her own way” while still needing her daddy. The film is really packed with many of the best comic actors, but their “edges” are somewhat “smoothed” for this mass-audience entertainment. Stand-up star Michelle Buteau buzzes about as Kat’s viral-obsessed aide, while Utkarsh Ambudkar sneers and jeers as a rival math team coach. But the biggest “missed-op” is Silverman as Parker a “gender-switched” take on the rom-com cliche of the heroine’s ultra-supportive gay BFF or next-door neighbor. Her dangerous on-stage bawdy snark is neutered as the school staffer/ wannabe rep for Charlie. Perhaps she hopes to “expand the brand’, but her role here feels toothless. Oh well, at least there’s Jimmy Fallon bucking his “nice guy” image for a more surly prickly twist on his late-night TV gig.
The whole film hinges on the whole premise taken from some of the recent cable-TV “mating shows’ (with titles like “Married at First Sight”, “Love is Blind”, etc.). For most of us (well, me) the whole “plucking from the crowd” thing comes off as ludicrous in the extreme. Perhaps it worked better in the original graphic novel or webcomic (okay, a comic book) by Bobby Crosby which couldn’t quite gel in the screen adaptation by Harper Dill, John Rogers, and Tami Sanger. The concert finale is meant to be Kat’s on-stage meltdown, but her competent compassionate manager Collin (played warmly by Bradley) would’ve pulled the plug on it. We get a hint of the crazed paparazzi-fueled frenzy, but it’s more a mild annoyance. Director Kat Corio does her best with the material, but we can predict the relationship roadmap proceeding along the usual route to its inevitable destination. The leads are likable enough, but the whole thing feels too cloying and cutesy. If that weren’t enough we’re almost suffocated by the “synergy”. Scenes are built around different parts of the Universal media family. Aside from Fallon, NBC Today provides a constant “Greek chorus” along with Telemundo. Enough with the Tie-ins”!Perhaps this was intended as a 25th-anniversary reunion of the two stars (ANACONDA was way back in 1997), but only the most fervent rom-com fanatic will get anything from this wobbly wonky gender-spin on PRETTY WOMAN (with some NOTTING HILL tossed in). Better to stream those gems rather than endure the dreary by-the-numbers MARRY ME.
1 Out of 4
MARRY ME opens in theatres everywhere and streams exclusively on Peacock beginning on Friday, February 11, 2022
This past year we’ve seen several very entertaining documentary features set in the world of music, particularly SUMMER OF SOUL. Another lauded film was the profile of the rock band Sparks, titled simply THE SPARKS BROTHERS, which set itself apart from many doc features in that it was helmed by a director who’s mainly known for fiction films, Edgar Wright. Now another similar director enters the fray, Todd Haynes, who last told the story of corporate polluters in the “based on real events” drama DARK WATERS. He’s the force behind the new film that chronicles the history of a most influential band that merged rock and roll with the avant-garde, a group of acclaimed musical talents known as THE VELVET UNDERGROUND.
This story begins, oddly enough, with a grainy kinescope of the CBS TV game show staple, “I’ve Got a Secret’. The audience titters when told of the “secret”: pianist John Cale played an 18-hour concert (he was joined by the only attendee that stuck it out). We’re then plunged into the changing cultural landscape of the 1960s as Cale meets an intense young poet/guitarist named Lou Reed. They became a fixture of the hip, young New York scene as The Primitives which included Sterling Morrison. Eventually Maureen (Moe) Tucker came aboard as the band’s drummer as they decided on the new moniker, The Velvet Underground. Despite the personality clashes and indulgencies (including heroin), their dark-themed songs caught the attention of art icon Andy Warhol who made them the “house band” for his “factory”. Eventually, he would manage the band in 1966 and soon he would pair them with the exotic actress/model Nico for a series of live shows and record albums. After the exit of Nico, the band finally broke with Warhol, who made their shows a full media “happening’ with projected film and slides. VU continued to make music through the 60s until 1973, a couple of years after Reed left to embark on a lauded solo career.
Those hoping for an involving introduction to the iconic group will be dumbstruck for the sensory overload orchestrated by Haynes. After the game show epilogue, he fills the screen with multiple images, often distracting from the music snippets and the more recent interview subjects. As he presents the original band members, 2/3 of the screen is taken up by a “locked-down” headshot from the Warhol factory with each musician trying not to blink while assorted archival stills and news footage flash by in countless boxes (one sequence looks like the Brady Bunch opening titles times six). Sure, we hear from surviving members of the VU, along with family members and old pals of those departed, but they’re generic talking heads as the ever-changing “slide show” numbs us. There are also a few celebs like Jonathan Richmond, Jackson Browne, and Warhol “superstar” Mary Woronov (who joins Moe in a rant against those “hippie flower kids”), but they don’t truly enlighten or illuminate. Oh, and those Warhol unflinching static shot close-ups haven’t become more charming with age. The group seems worthy of an engrossing cinematic recollection but this visually erratic and haphazardly cut fever dream from Haynes will not add many new fans for THE VELVET UNDERGROUND. Now, where’s the Dramamine?
1 Out of 4
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas and begins streaming on Apple TV + on October 15, 2021
