Cantus Rock
05-09-2003, 11:34 PM
My review:
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A Mighty Display of Genius
By: Matt Charles
“A Mighty Wind”: Written and Directed by Christopher Guest
I left the Regal Westfork Theater this evening with a new respect for two things in particular. First off, my already high level of enjoyment of folk music has been redefined. Second, my respect for Christopher Guest and his troupe of genius (yes, genius...a word I do NOT use loosely) has been amplified greatly.
Before I go any further, let me be completely honest; “A Mighty Wind” was nowhere near as funny as “Waiting for Guffman” or “Best in Show”. For one, there was very little character development (though what was displayed for us was in Guest’s traditional off-the-wall style). This was due to the overwhelming emphasis that was placed in the films music, of which the majority was fairly serious by folk terms. There were hilarious moments regardless, but it was not at all on the level of the prior Christopher Guest films. Despite the lack of continuous comedy, the film was pure gold.
Its gold lied within its story, which was a great change from the normal Guest style; there was a great deal of poignancy in the film. So poignant in fact, that between the lines of comedy, the film was utterly touching.
The other main factor of the films awesomeness was the music, paired with the story behind the music (no VH1 reference intended). A little-known fact about the film's music is that all the cast that performed in the film actually played their instruments. That fact is amazing, being that not a member of the cast had played their character's instrument prior to the film's production (with minor exceptions- one being Eugene Levy had played guitar prior, but not nearly as well). Also, all the songs were written, performed, and studio recorded by the cast, and I must say, they all sounded just as good (if not better, if the truth be known) as any folk music I've heard. In this, I have to say that if a person just cannot get into folk music, the film probably will not be as entertaining to them, but even if you have a mild liking (or as little as a tolerance) for folk, the sound will surely move you.
All in all, Christopher Guest has shown that he and his cast of brilliance are talented to the fullest extent of the word. The story, the quirky characters (as always), and the phenomenal music, make this film wonderful on so many levels.
So, my advice to you is to see it before its yanked from the theaters. Trust me; it is way too good to last.
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-Matt
----
A Mighty Display of Genius
By: Matt Charles
“A Mighty Wind”: Written and Directed by Christopher Guest
I left the Regal Westfork Theater this evening with a new respect for two things in particular. First off, my already high level of enjoyment of folk music has been redefined. Second, my respect for Christopher Guest and his troupe of genius (yes, genius...a word I do NOT use loosely) has been amplified greatly.
Before I go any further, let me be completely honest; “A Mighty Wind” was nowhere near as funny as “Waiting for Guffman” or “Best in Show”. For one, there was very little character development (though what was displayed for us was in Guest’s traditional off-the-wall style). This was due to the overwhelming emphasis that was placed in the films music, of which the majority was fairly serious by folk terms. There were hilarious moments regardless, but it was not at all on the level of the prior Christopher Guest films. Despite the lack of continuous comedy, the film was pure gold.
Its gold lied within its story, which was a great change from the normal Guest style; there was a great deal of poignancy in the film. So poignant in fact, that between the lines of comedy, the film was utterly touching.
The other main factor of the films awesomeness was the music, paired with the story behind the music (no VH1 reference intended). A little-known fact about the film's music is that all the cast that performed in the film actually played their instruments. That fact is amazing, being that not a member of the cast had played their character's instrument prior to the film's production (with minor exceptions- one being Eugene Levy had played guitar prior, but not nearly as well). Also, all the songs were written, performed, and studio recorded by the cast, and I must say, they all sounded just as good (if not better, if the truth be known) as any folk music I've heard. In this, I have to say that if a person just cannot get into folk music, the film probably will not be as entertaining to them, but even if you have a mild liking (or as little as a tolerance) for folk, the sound will surely move you.
All in all, Christopher Guest has shown that he and his cast of brilliance are talented to the fullest extent of the word. The story, the quirky characters (as always), and the phenomenal music, make this film wonderful on so many levels.
So, my advice to you is to see it before its yanked from the theaters. Trust me; it is way too good to last.
----
-Matt