Rating: 
Summary: And I thought "Napoleon" was my biggest disappointment.
Review: ...I felt completely ripped off when I bought this DVD. It is well over 60 percent NOT MUSICAL PERFORMANCE! You'll hear songs, see bits of the performance of said songs, but it's more like a collage of many other things during it as well. I don't like conversations and commentary while a song is playing, thank you. These collages are like the collages you see of a TV sitcom character who just died off and played in slow motion while the credits roll. Although I like everything behind the scenes of what's going on, I like these things balanced with the music... On a final note, when Ani talks about not believing in the idea of having to move to New York (as in City) to "make it big", even the most hardcore fan who knows anything about her should know that's pure baloney; she didn't move there to go to college and start a career in an office job while doing open mic nights in her spare time as a hobby. I still love Ani and her music...And don't buy this if you're looking for the amazing thrill of her shows. Even the songs you do see performed are not her best; they're more like the B-sides. Stick with a concert CD or better yet AN ACTUAL CONCERT. That's a wrap.
Rating:
Summary: for hardcore Ani fans only
Review: Although I consider myself a fan of her music, I found this DVD to have done a disservice to Ani DiFranco. The picture is often not synchronized with the sound, and the erratic editing, poorly done video effects, inter-cutting of home movies, and chronically skewed camera angles serve only as an obstruction to the performances and interviews. These techniques might have added to the film had they been used sparingly, but serve here only as a constant annoyance. She is credited as co-director, so perhaps she should have entrusted the film solely to a more experienced filmmaker?
Rating: 
Summary: 32 Flavors, and then some (sorry...)
Review: Although I'm a long-time fan of her music, I only recently witnessed firsthand the Ani-mania that accompanies her live concerts when I saw her play in April. The kind of energy that prevailed at her concert comes through strikingly well here, both in the intensity, funk, and humor of her performance as well as the (overwhelming!) hysteria of some fans. If Ani seems annoyed at some points in the film (as another reviewer suggests) it's probably because she is. Most of us would be under the circumstances--after all, Ani's only human, and the film reveals precisely that. She's just a woman with a guitar and a voice, and she wants to play.
But the film has a voice that's not confined to the ranks of chords and performances. It's a voice of social consciousness that addresses racism, politics, and a whole range of "cultural soul-searching" issues. And it's all packed in an artsy documentary format, insisting that this is way more than an adorned glorification of our folky friend. It's unpretentious and fun...and the music is OK, too;) Watch if you get the chance...you'll laugh, you'll cry...
Rating: 
Summary: difranco's pretentious foray into film disappoints
Review: ani difranco's "render" dvd falls exceptionally short of capturing the excitement of her live concerts. this dvd is victim of poor editing, interjecting lengthy commentary during live footage and subsequently ruining the experience. furthermore, the style of this film is self-consciously "artsy," utilizing focus variations, slow motion, etc. to evoke an artificial, contrived "psychedelic" motif that is not advantageous to conveying the power of difranco's captivating live performances. perhaps most disappointing is the greatly inflated sense of self-importance that ani exemplifies during the course of the film.
difranco takes an opportunity to disparage her audience for turning her emotional art into a "soccer chant" by singing along, severing any semblance of genuine artist-audience interaction by creating clear boundries between the divine artist and the subservient flock of elated fans. issues of political importance are rendered nearly intolerable through difranco's elitist persona. despite ani difranco's musical brilliance, "render" displays a side of ani difranco that is utterly unattractive: a little folk singer who finds solace in marijuana, ostentation, and laughing at her own jokes. while ani's career has produced music of immeasurable quality, her personality is surprisingly difficult to swallow, and this dvd is surprisingly difficult to watch.
Rating:
Summary: difranco's pretentious foray into film disappoints
Review: ani difranco's "render" dvd falls exceptionally short of capturing the excitement of her live concerts. this dvd is victim of poor editing, interjecting lengthy commentary during live footage and subsequently ruining the experience. furthermore, the style of this film is self-consciously "artsy," utilizing focus variations, slow motion, etc. to evoke an artificial, contrived "psychedelic" motif that is not advantageous to conveying the power of difranco's captivating live performances. perhaps most disappointing is the greatly inflated sense of self-importance that ani exemplifies during the course of the film.
difranco takes an opportunity to disparage her audience for turning her emotional art into a "soccer chant" by singing along, severing any semblance of genuine artist-audience interaction by creating clear boundries between the divine artist and the subservient flock of elated fans. issues of political importance are rendered nearly intolerable through difranco's elitist persona. despite ani difranco's musical brilliance, "render" displays a side of ani difranco that is utterly unattractive: a little folk singer who finds solace in marijuana, ostentation, and laughing at her own jokes. while ani's career has produced music of immeasurable quality, her personality is surprisingly difficult to swallow, and this dvd is surprisingly difficult to watch.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic!!
Review: Ani's first concert film is a great collage of concert footage, commentary on her political views, and private moments in "Mr. DiFranco's" life. As a fairly recent fan of Ani, I was beyond thrilled to buy this DVD. With live versions of Dilate, The Slant, My IQ, and Two Little Girls, to name a few, this film is truly a great selection of Ani's music. She plays guitar with a tiger's ferocity, and her views on the death penalty and corporal punishment are quite insightful and poignant. Definitely a must-buy if you're a fan of Ani!
Rating:
Summary: Render, Spanning Time With Ani DiFranco
Review: Awesome....Awesome....Awesome, a must have for all of us who worship the folktress or have a general appreciation for her music.
Rating:
Summary: Authentically Ani.
Review: Even the most casual fan knows that Ani does one thing best: authentically be herself. She's not a silly pretty girl star, she's not a politician, and she ain't gonna water it down. She's Ani Difranco, plain and simple. This video will give you that. If you want to know a bit about what inspires, moves, and sets this little folksinger to writing - this is where to find it. It's a brand new take on Ani having her say in the world. If you are a compassionate Ani Difranco fan, excited to see what she's put down and not necessarily what you'd like her to produce, you will totally dig this film. If you have your own agenda or expectations, you might be disappointed... but that's a story that's been told before where it concerns this righteous babe.
Rating:
Summary: It's Why We Love Her!
Review: Fans of Ani Difranco know that her art is a moving target and therefore a simple live concert video, though highly satisfying, would have fallen short of the promise that the title of her latest masterpiece puts forth. "Render - Spanning Time with Ani Difranco" is exactly what we want: a glimpse into her world that adds color and depth to the stories and emotions expressed in her music. In it we are treated to real life moments and given a sense of the camaraderie between the artist, her band and especially, her fans. This is demonstrated best when, during a live performance of her song "Dilate," she stops and respectfully requests the fans not sing along. After the song's completion she takes the time to explain why she made the request. Artists rarely display such confidence in their audience and she is rewarded for her willingness to take such a risk: the fans love her even more for it. "Render" also shows us some of the behind the scenes activities of her record label, road crew and includes a sequence documenting the editing and mixing process in the recording studio. Not to mention some potent interview scenes where Ani lays down some of her views of America. At a time when we are being sold a party line that we are all in it together, she steps up and points out the many ways in which our society has become frayed and that we have strayed from the promise of our roots. And in so doing, she challenges us to change it. It's a winner all around and it's why we love her!
Rating:
Summary: Would've given it 5 stars if it would've been longer :)
Review: For any Ani purists out there--this is a must have. (Just like you gotta have every one her CDs--even the ones you don't quite get) Even if you're only an occasional fan, I still think you'll like this. You won't watch it over and over, cause hey--it really is mostly just a music video. It's familiar ground for those who've been to her concerts. If you turn it up loud enough and turn off your lights--you'll feel like you're there. Much like Living in Clip though, there are those little insights in between the music that make this a new experience. That's really what I bought it for--and I wasn't disappointed. (that and a live version of Dilate!) One thing that really grabbed me was my own little "lesson learned." I have to admit, prior to watching this I never really quite agreed with those who said "don't sing along." I always figured that my singing along was my way of expressing how much I really admired Ani's talent for complex, fascinating and touching lyrics. The explanation she gives here though--it's changed my mind. These kind of moments are sprinkled throughout. Ok--that's all I'm going to say--I could sit here and describe every little perfect moment--but I prefer to treat this like a movie; thus I don't want to ruin the ending for you. Enjoy.
| 
