A Mighty Wind

Rating:
Summary: A pathetic breeze
Review: 'This is Spinal Tap' is one of my favourite comedies, so when I heard that the same team had created in 'A Mighty Wind' a comic exposee of the folk music scene, I rushed to hire the DVD.

'A Mighty Wind', is disappointingly unfunny, unrealistic, saccharine and boring. All of the characters are unbearably squeaky clean. There are no drug scenes, tantrums, overblown egos or any of the comedic effects that are part of the music scene in general, in all its aspects, from heavy metal to Christian rock.

Rating:
Summary: A funny movie, but the formula is starting to wear thin...
Review: You may remember Christopher Guest from "This is Spinal Tap." You may also remember him as the six-fingered man in "The Princess Bride." Both were Rob Reiner films, but with 1996's "Waiting for Guffman," he created his own post-"Spinal Tap"-mockumentary about a small town that put on a pageant, despite lack of interest.

Then, four years later, he struck gold again with "Best in Show," reuniting many of the actors from "Guffman" for a documentary-style parody of modern day dog competitions. It was a very funny film, but like "A Mighty Wind," its humor is very subtle, and therefore some audiences just don't "get it."

I got it. I like subtle humor and laugh-out-loud humor; I appreciate subtle humor as a smarter type of humor, on most occasions, and laugh-out-loud humor is respectable in a different sort of way. "Dumb and Dumber" always puts a smile on my face, but so does "The Odd Couple," and though the two films are similar in nature they are also wholly different. It depends on what mood I'm in.

Make sure you're in the right type of mood when you sit down to watch "A Mighty Wind." It's Christopher Guest's worst mockumentary film to date, but then again, that hardly makes it a bad movie at all, does it?

"A Mighty Wind" returns to the "Waiting for Guffman" roots; it's about a television-broadcast reunion of folk music icons, all joining together again as they were in the sixties to say a fond farewell to their old manager, who has just passed away from old age.

The two primary bands are The Folksmen, led by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry "Principal Skinner" Shearer, and Mitch and Mickey, led by Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara. Mitch and Mickey used to be a couple back in the sixties, but as all the fame and glory stories go, they broke up and haven't spoken for years. The Folksmen are just three ordinary guys with a talent for being quite unlucky (even the song they choose to sing at the reunion has already been taken and they have to quickly think of another to play).

These mockumentary comedies are all made up of quirky characters, and "A Mighty Wind" is no exception. Catherine O'Hara's Canadian accent is splendidly funny to listen to, Michael McKean (his most memorable role being his smallest as the state trooper in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles") is subtly funny as always, Christopher Guest is...well...Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer will constantly remind you of Principal Skinner from "The Simpsons" (his own voice), and "SCTV's" Eugene Levy is the highlight, channeling a sort of Ozzy Osbourne persona for the character of Mitch, the nice singer who slumped into an era of drinks, drugs, and depression during the 70s after his romance with Mickey broke apart -- or so we can only assume from the wasted look in his eyes and the staggering walk of a permanently drunken man.

The other key to these movies is not only its characters but also its delightful realism. "A Mighty Wind" has created an entirely false universe for itself, much like "Adaptation" did with some of its in-jokes regarding "The 3" and so on and so forth. Guest provides us with clippings of black and white music performances by the singers, and lots of other fake footage and album covers that are all false but look so very real. It helps the audience believe what they're seeing is truth. Without little things like old footage, the film would simply not be as funny.

Much of the cast ad-libbed in "A Mighty Wind," and it shows. The film's weakness is that it seems to move slowly with long absences of laughter. But when the laughter comes -- and it will -- you'll be howling. I rarely laugh when I'm watching a film by myself (usually this only occurs while watching funny segments of "Saturday Night Live"), but one scene in "A Mighty Wind" did make me laugh out loud quite hard with no one else in the room. The scene is that in which Eugene Levy's wild-eyed character Mitch is brought into the basement of Mickey's house, where her husband shows Mitch his obsession: model railroads. Mitch making comments about Crabville just cracked me up. After a long scene of Levy doing hilarious Ozzy Osbourne facial expressions and saying funny things, Mickey's husband says, "It's Crabtown, not Crabville." You've got to see it to get it.

The other highlight of the show is Fred Willard, and I'll summarize his character by saying, "Wha' happened?" Watch the movie and you'll get that, too.

"A Mighty Wind" wasn't quite as funny as I had hoped it would be, and the whole joke is starting to wear a little thin by now. Christopher Guest is both a talented actor and director, and though I enjoyed and recommend "A Mighty Wind," I think that it's about time he either moved on or dramatically increased the wit of his script for the next mockumentary he may decide to make, because as it is, "A Mighty Wind" is starting to show signs of formula weakness.

Rating:
Summary: COUNTRY TWANG
Review: Spinal Tap goes Folk! As the creators of the cult hit drop their obscure brand of comedy into the clean world of banjos & barbershops like an ageing hippies last trip.

So is it funny? Taking its lead from Tap, it uses the same spoof-documentary format & while the story was planned before hand, all the scenes are improvised. Leaving the comic talent of Harry Shearer (Simpsons), Eugene Levey (Pie) & Christopher Guest (Tap) to never fail and always deliver.

Yeah, but it's about Folk music! Don't be concerned as the story will have you splitting your guts with laughter & if the music isn't your bag to start with you'll be hard-pressed to stop toe tapping by the end.

Rating:
Summary: Horrible movie, I'm so embarassed
Review: I bought this movie as a gift for my brother because it was cheap, he likes folk music, and because 'Spinal Tap' and 'Best in Show' are hilarious. I'd never seen it, but since it came from the people who put out those movies, it had to be at least decent, right? WRONG!!

This is the worst comedy I've ever seen in my life. There I was, after Christmas with my family, and we decide to pop it in. 'It should be great', I tell them. Then silence. Then my mom fell asleep. Then people decided to get up and get something to drink. Then my sister-in-law decides to 'turn in early'. Not one laugh from anyone the entire time.

The only redeeming part about it was whether they were going to kiss at the end. Excuse me, if that's the only redeeming quality about a COMEDY, then that blows.

God, I'm never buying a movie sight unseen again. Thankfully it wasn't my brother's only present.

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as Best in Show, but still fun.
Review: Now, I rented this DVD and was expecting another "Best in Show." Unfortunately, this movie isn't as good as BIS. But don't let that stop you from getting this movie. It's great fun. Eugene Levy is hilarious! I think EVERYONE can enjoy this movie, though it's probably not for kids between the ages of 6 and 11. Music lovers will be extremely satisfied with bands like the New Main Street Singers. If you really want a movie that'll make you feel good, rent A Mighty Wind.

Rating:
Summary: SIMPLY BORING FOLKS
Review: Sorry folks, I did not laugh at all. It was depressing even. I am 46 years old and wished it was to recall the folk era but it did I did not see it as a comedy. But then I like Airplane and Austin Powers movies.

Rating:
Summary: A Mighty Comedy
Review: There are few genres of filmmaking more challenging to tackle than the "mockumentary." For a mockumentary to be truly effective, the subject at hand must be parodied honestly, but without the kind of tawdry mean-spiritedness that easily repels audience members. The characters must be in turns ridiculous and endearing and the situations they encounter must be bizarre without seeming unrealistic. The master of this delicate art form is Christopher Guest, who has spent the last 20 years collaborating on quirky, engaging mockumentaries involving everything from heavy metal bands to community theater productions to dog shows. His latest triumph is A Mighty Wind, a film that both tickles and touches it viewers by lampooning the wonderfully awful folk music of the 1960's with scathing wit and undeniable affection.

The film centers on a concert honoring Irving Steinbloom, a recently deceased promoter who represented a variety of folk groups. The documentary cameras capture the trials and tribulations of the show's performers and organizers, all of them as loopy as they are lovable. Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer recapture their Spinal Tap chemistry as the Folksmen, a trio who sing about everything from farm animals to the Spanish Civil War with hilarious earnestness. The three men perform like a finely oiled comic machine as they battle over song arrangements, the directions to the concert site, and (in the unforgettable conclusion) their own sexual identities. They are surpassed in eccentricity only by Eugene Levy, who turns in a brilliant performance as a spaced-out folk legend who is attempting to reconcile with his former partner (the underrated Catharine O'Hara). Levy wins belly laughs as he forgets the lyrics to his sappy folk ballads and clutches a squeeze toy for emotional support, but it is his offbeat affection for O'Hara that gives the character its poignancy and believability.

Equally impressive are Bob Balaban as Steinbloom's safety-conscious son (he tries to keep his father's concert safe by removing pointy floral arrangements), Ed Begley Jr. as a Swedish television producer who is found of Yiddish expressions, and the versatile Fred Willard as a dimwitted manager with an endless stream of inappropriate folk jokes. In short, Guest's film is one the sharpest and most emotionally rewarding comedies of the year. Take a break from the hackneyed hollywood blockbusters and seek it out.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully warm parody
Review: Have you even seen one of those T.J. Lubinski-produced PBS musical fundraisers in which a number of folk, rock or R&B artists from the 50s and 60s perform the hist of those eras? And have you found yourself scratching you head and wondering why so many of those singers on stage don't seem to look anything like the artists you remember? Did you wonder why the "Loving Spoonful" didn't have a single member of the original group?

If so, you've already had a taste of "A Mighty Wind".

In this brilliantly improvised film, a producer whose father originally produced many of the big folk acts of the 60s puts together a tribute show for the "PBN" network featuring three of the top acts from that era- a formerly loving couple very much like Ian and Sylvia, a Kingston-trio clone, and a group best described as the New New Christy Minstrels. The film traces the history of the groups and their preperation for the show in mock documentary form.

What I liked most about this film was that the portrayal of the era are really all very affectionate- much more so than in "Spinal Tap"- and the music is, for the most part, very good, even though intended as broad parody. I could easily see Mitch and Mickey's love ballad "A Kiss At The End Of The Rainbow" as a real tune from the era. The singing and the musicianship of the actors is pretty impressive, too.

The unquestioned star of the film is Eugene Levy, whose "Mitch" manages to walk that line on the edge of a total breakdown with great skill and a just a touch of pathos. Catherine O'Hara's "Mickey" is a marvelous foil to Levy's "Mitch" and a strong presence in her own right. The "Folkmen" are the same three actors who were Spinal Tap (McKean, Guest and Shearer) and are just as good (and just as funny) in this more laid-back setting.

The cast is the same repertory group seen in the other Christopher Guest written movies, "Spinal Tap", "Waiting for Guffman" and "Best in Show", and as usual they all deliver wonderful performances. To mention just a few standouts: Fred Williard as the clueless, egocentric manager of the Main Street Singers, Bob Balaban as the producer, and my favorite, Ed Begley Jr. as a Swedish born PBN producer with a vocabulary full of Yiddish phrases.

I lived through what Martin Mull referred to as the "Folk Music scare of the 60s". I loved it then, and I love "A Mighty Wind" now.

Rating:
Summary: A Weak Reiteration of Best of Show
Review: As a big fan of Best of Show, I watched this with great anticipation and came away flat.

They used the same tried and true approach with a mockumentary style but somehow the tension of the characters of Best in Show just never materialized. None of the characters was engaging or even resonated.

I'd skip this one.

Rating:
Summary: MUSIC BETTER THAN THE PLOT-BUT IT'S OK
Review: This movie is great if you are a 60's folkie, like me. Let me see, THE MAIN STREET SINGERS are THE NEW CHRISTY MINSTRELS. THE FOLKMEN are THE KINGSTON TRIO. And, MITCH AND MICKEY are IAN AND SYLVIA. Did I get it right. I love the song: THERE IS A KISS AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW. Folk and SECOND CITY TV fans will like this one. Especially in DVD form.