A Mighty Wind

Rating:
Summary: Quality Guest
Review: I have to admit before I write this review, I am very biased. I just happen to have a very particular sense of humor, one that fits freakishly well into the subdued hilarity produced by writer/director Christopher Guest. In my opinion, This is Spinal Tap is one of the best comedies ever made, the godfather of the mockumentary genre. Guest went on to make a great mockumentary of his own with the classic Waiting for Guffman. Best in Show followed, and now A Mighty Wind. While I would not place A Mighty Wind at the same level as movies like Guffman or Tap, it is, on its own a great comedy.

A Mighty Wind is about the world of folk music, which has fallen far from its lofty heights in the 1960's. The remaining artists struggle for relevancy relegated to theme park and casino performances. The folk world is united in one performance however, as the scion of the folk record industry Irving Steinbloom has died. His son, the wonderfully deranged Jonathan Steinbloom, decides to unite the performers who were loyal to his father for one big PBS TV special. His call goes out to the remnants of the folk world, which are scattered in both location and mental stability. There are three main groups who have very disparate origins and music styles, and the movie focuses on them with delightful scrutiny.

Fans of Guest's films will be familiar with much of the cast, as they form his exclusive group of unscripted performers. Eugene Levy as a burned out folk artist is the movie's best character. The Folksmen, who reunite the three members of Tap, Shearer, McKean, and Guest are absolutely great as failed musicians who still cannot believe they were not more successful. Bob Balaban as the Jonathan Steinbloom does a great job as a manic depressive bureaucratic mama's boy whose family is falling apart around him. Some of the other characters were kind of flat however. Others were underused. Fred Willard's character was only given a few scenes, but was absolutely great. Parker Posey is barely in it. Some of the jokes in the middle are a little weak. However, for people that love great story and satire, this is another Guest movie that cannot be beat.

Rating:
Summary: A Mighty Disappointment!
Review: Standing by itself this movie probably wouldn't have lasted a weekend in theaters before it got yanked. I saw it expecting more of the hilarity from previous movies, but was sadly disapointed. I sat there most of the time with baited breath just waiting for something funny to take off and it just didn't materialize. Don't get me wrong, there were some funny moments, but thats all there was. A Mighty Wind kinda blew!

Rating:
Summary: a mighthy wind was a mighty laugh
Review: Funniest movie i have seriously seen and the catch phrases were incredible wha happend i mean lets all give a big round of applause to christopher guest for creating another comical masterpiece and he could not have done it with out the hysterical out of this world funny Eugene levy summing it up folks i think that you should grab a friend a popcorn and a seat in the cinema for a mighty wind

Rating:
Summary: A mighty BIG laugh and a half!
Review: Ok, for those who haven't seen this movie, shut down your computer, get into your car and see this thing!!! If you love witty and satiric humor, thinking man's comedy, the old folk songs of the 60's or just need time out from your busy schedule to just laugh hysterically, this is the movie you need! I won't go into to great details about plot, it's pretty simple really. A former manager of folk artists (Mr. Irving) has died, his surviving son is wanting to produce a show using the former aging folk artists (with the exception of the hilarious "NEW" Main Street Singers) to air a special on a public broadcasting network. Well, that's the just the two slices of bread-the real meat is in the artists as you see them fumble their way to the stage over a two week period to put this all together for "An Ode to Irving."

The acting, the music, the direction of this film is impeccable. All the songs are written by the actors and quite frankly the music is surprisingly not cheesy! It's damn good actually and if you really like the movie I highly suggest the soundtrack. Every character is unique so you don't get confused on who is who. Let's face it, Christopher Guest is the KING of the mockumentary after making the classic films such as Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman. Eugene Levy is truly the most funny character as the sedate former folkie with a bizzaro-rama hairdo. Catherine O'Hara is brilliant as the bystanding former partner who simply can make you cry and laugh all the same scene-she's beautiful!

This is a film that's worth any price of admission. It's rare we see films like this get any kind of recognition at all but if you're reading this review and the countless others here you'll see this movie is obviously not flaky, it's well crafted and deserves 90 mintues of your attention. Ok, now shutdown your computer and thank you for reading my review. Peace to all!

Rating:
Summary: Outrageously funny
Review: I cannot remember the last time I laughed so much. The film was unpredictable. There was no way to anticipate what a character would say or do next. Many times what came next was from left field.

The film is about a reunion concert of folk music groups from the early 1960s. The concert is to honor their promoter, Irving Steinbloom, who has just passed away. These are not the angry folk singers of the late '60s, but the mild and soothing singers whom time has passed by.

At times the film goes too far. Fred Willard as the crass manager of "The Main Street Singers" is a little too crass. Ed Begley's Yiddishisms are hilarious the first time, but become less and less funny as the film moves on. But, these are only very minor quibbles.

The cast is very good. Bob Balaban is terrific as Steinbloom's kvetchy, cajolling son Jonathan. Eugene Levy is a perfect brain fried Mitch of "Mitch and Mickey."

Comparisons with Best in Show are inevitable. Both films have basically the same cast. In my opinion, Best in Show is the better film. It's humor is a little subtle. Also, folk singers are too easy a target.

Be sure to listen closely to the song at the end of the film.

Rating:
Summary: The last Guest of Wind?
Review: When it comes to comedy in film, I have always been very particular, and over the past few years it seemed that I had finally found my niche with the work of Christopher Guest. That being said, I will recommend this movie only to people who fall into that type of category...you will enjoy this movie if you are a fan of the previous ones, i.e. Spinal Tap (directed by Rob Reiner, not Guest), Waiting for Guffman, and Best in Show.
Of these four, "A Mighty Wind" is definitely the weakest, and is saved by the performance of Fred Willard, who once again steals the show and elevates this film from a mediocre one to a good one. But that is not to say that this isn't a very funny movie, because it is. However, in my opinion the laughs were fewer than in the other movies, and I have to begin to wonder if Guest and company have used the comedic goldmine of the "mockumentary" for all it's worth. For example, Eugene Levy, who was absolutely brilliant in the other films, is funny for the first five minutes of this one before the humor of his character wears off. Could it be the same for the entire genre? Is the "mockumentary" a gimmick that is beginning to grow old or simply runnining out of suitable subject matter? I hope not, for what else can keep hope alive for fans of good comedy during these dark years of Adam Sandler movies and "Bringing Down the House"?

Rating:
Summary: Hysterical Music Mockumentary
Review: If you love any kind of music, you really have to see this movie. Focusing on the Folk Music era, this movie portrays the folkie musicians in a very funny, and believable manner. I loved Eugene Levy as the wigged-out member of the popular duo with Catherine O'Hara. This is one of Levy's best performances to date. Check out the costumes on some of these characters - they are funny now, but this is what people actually wore. Very well-done, and extremely entertaining.

Rating:
Summary: Thinking Person's Comedy
Review: Like with any Christopher Guest mockumentary, you have to be alert to keep pace with the comedy; if you're not, it'll go over head. The usual cast of characters are here -- and they're funny, esp. Eugene Levy as Mitch. I only give this movie 3 stars because while music that was in the movie was witty, I wish they're had been more of it (it's about folk music after all). I didn't get the sense of a lot of adlibbing like I did in Best in Show. In less capable hands, this would have been a disaster; Guest is the best in this genre.

Rating:
Summary: Funny mockumentary from Guest and co.
Review: Christopher Guest has found his niche as a filmmaker, and it's the fake documentary, or "mockumentary" first pioneered by the classic film "This is Spinal Tap", in which Guest starred. He's found a style, and a troupe of actors that can carry off the humor and improvisational abilities needed to make a movie that consists of finding humor in situations, rather than jokes. Guest's first directorial foray into the field was with the hilarious "Waiting for Guffman" about a play thrown for a small town's anniversary. He followed that with "Best in Show", about a dog show. "A Mighty Wind" features 60's folk groups reuniting and gearing up for a tribute concert. It's yet another success for Guest and company.

One of the best things about the way these movies are put together is that they are respectful of the intelligence of the audience. They expect the audience to understand that these are not real people or situations, and it's up to the audience to find the humor. The characters are not judged by the actors either; they are presented as real human beings with (sometimes major) flaws. This helps the comedy. It's a lot easier to laugh at clueless folk performers who have no idea how cheesy they are but who enjoy making music, than it would be at someone that knew the music was bad and hated playing it.

Of the three groups featured in the movie (The Folksmen, The New Main Street Singers, and Mitch and Mickey), the one who might be most interesting to lovers of the mockumentary form are the Folksmen, who are played by the members of Spinal Tap - Guest, Harry Shearer, and Michael McKean. They are funny, naturally, as are the squeaky clean and cornball New Main Street Singers. The real hook for the viewer lies in the relationship of Mitch and Mickey, played lovingly by Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara. They are a folk duo who separated in the late sixties, and always had a great deal of romantic tension. Mitch, a sixties casualty who has bottomed out and had a meltdown, must overcome his anxieties to perform again with Mickey. Their scenes together are funny, touching, and poignant.

In all, I would recommend "A Mighty Wind" to anyone who enjoys good, smart comedies. You don't have to be a fan of folk music to laugh at this ribbing of the genre. If you saw and liked "Spinal Tap", "...Guffman", and "Best in Show" you'll enjoy this movie all the more.

Rating:
Summary: Just a little disappointing. Go see it anyway!
Review: You have to admire Christopher Guest for wanting to bring ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE he's ever met into this film. Too bad he didn't have enough for everyone to do (or more likely, what everyone had to do wound up on the cutting room floor- or is being saved for the dvd!) A ton of terrific super-talented performers with not much character development, will leave you wondering, "What was (fill in the blank) doing there? Guest should have gone directly to dvd with a 3 hour film.
Having said that, go see it anyway!