Rating: Summary: I Must Be Honest Review: Being a HUGE fan of "Waiting for Guffman" and "Best in Show", I couldn't wait for the release of "A Mighty Wind". I even drove 90 miles out of my way to see it. Overall, I enjoyed it (and eventually saw it a second time when it came to a closer theater), but it didn't come close to equaling the laughs in "Guffman" & "Show" - in quality nor in quantity. Eugene Levy is ordinarily my favorite of Guest's crew of actors, but in this film his comedic talent was completely untapped. I'll buy the DVD when it's available, but it won't get as much play at my house as the other two.
Rating: Summary: Going down Review: Not as funny as Best in Show, which wasn't as funny as Guffman. Levy was good, but not near as funny as Guest as Guffman. Parker Posey's character could have been played by anyone. The whole booking a venue thing was done countless times better in any Larry Sanders show.
Rating: Summary: A Mighty Film Review: Made for my sole enjoyment, I would give it 5 stars but I'm sure not everybody will get it. The "Spinal Tap" of 60's Folk scene, with the same brand of humour (and cast) as seen in other Christopher Guest vehicles (Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman). The soundtrack is superb, with original recordings of folk songs that emulate the period, masterfully done with wit, skill and love...just like the movie. Only negative comment is what was done to Harry Shearer's character at the end of the movie, a comedy twist aimed at the lowest common denominator.
Rating: Summary: Both the Essence and the Humor Review: I've seen it twice and am still not sure how Christopher Guest captured both the essence of the Folk Music Era and so much well-placed humor. It is understated and quirky, but to those of us who lived and played and sung through the Folk Era, it captures enough of the heart and fun to bring back loads of memories and a renewed warm feeling about that peculiar form of entertainment. Unfortunately, a lot of the older folks who will love this movie are not getting the word. When they do, it will become a sixties generation cult classic.
Rating: Summary: Pleasant Breeze Review: Christopher Guest wrote, directed and stars in this send-up of over-the-hill folksingers reuniting for one last concert. All the amusing character actors you know from Guest's "Best In Show" and "Waiting for Guffman" are here, just not so funny this time. Eugene Levy plays Mitch, the spaced-out former partner of Catherine O'Hara. They are both very talented actors and improvisors; however, they needed a little more action in the plot to make us laugh. The wonderful Fred Willard plays a gushing manager with great success. Michael McKean is enjoyable as one third of a 60s folk trio. In fact, all of the actors are pleasant and usually laugh-out-loud funny. The script this time just doesn't have enough going on to sustain the humor, which is quite underplayed. While not a hysterically funny comedy, "A Mighty Wind" is comfortable, friendly, and full of such great actors that you enjoy it anyway.
Rating: Summary: Drop-dead hilarious Review: This is the third of the movies Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show.I do not know how they seem to get funnier as it goes,but it is true.Although the first one is classic they each have some unique to provide.I love how they go to all extremes in each of these making it quirky and corny for fun.Definently something you should see and also check out the first two.
Rating: Summary: Wonderful Wind! :) Review: I've seen this movie three times within three weeks, and each time, I am moved to laughter and tears! I daresay, it's become a guilty pleasure! :) And I usually wouldn't consider myself a folk music fan, but the humor and the heartfelt sentiments in this film immediately pulled me in. I unconsciously found myself tapping my foot and grinning away, feeling much more light-hearted than when I went into the theatre. It's incredibly well done, and the characters are all quite lovable. There's a lot of love in this "Mighty Wind." Run, don't walk to the theatre! It's that GOOD!
Rating: Summary: much more affectionate, just as funny... Review: I'll come right out and admit it, Waiting for Guffman is my favorite Christopher Guest movie (and I've seen all of them) but this one comes in second for me (yes, before Spinal Tap!) mainly because of the brilliant performances of Catherine O'Hara and Fred Willard. These two are unabashedly my favorite Christopher Guest "regulars". Fred Willard's character is laugh-out-loud hilarious every time he appears on screen. As usual, he plays a guy thoroughly amused with himself, and consequently is incredibly amusing. You will feel yourself cheated due to his relitively small amount of screen-time compared to Guffman, causing you to possibly ask: "Wha' Happened?!!" Anyway, A Mighty Wind is less vicious and satirical than Spinal Tap, Waiting For Guffman, or even Best In Show. You grow to truly like the characters you're watching, although the even minor threat of an actual tender relationship (between Levy and O'Hara's characters) is quickly and hilariously squelched before the credits roll. Guest delivers a great character as his role in The Folksmen's trio, but it is too small a character to not be overshadowed by even the hilarity of two newcomers (the main members of The New Main Street Singers) who practice their own bizarre cult involving color-worship ("Wink, spelled W-I-N-C...Witches In Nature's Colors..."). This film is totally worth it if you're a true Guest fan... those not so familiar with the mocumentary style would do better starting off with a more blatantly funny of his films.
Rating: Summary: Exquisite character-driven comedy, just satirical enough. Review: Christopher Guest is the anti-Adam Sandler. Guest writes and directs comedies for people with reasonable attention spans, who can appreciate subtly wacky jokes and skilled performances by an ensemble of real comic actors. While he's always in his movies, he's always one of the ensemble, never in a "Look At Me, I'm a Star!" mode. "A Mighty Wind," which he directed and co-wrote with Eugene Levy, is a worthy addition to Guest's filmography--an affectionately goofy sendup of '60s folk music, set against the backdrop of a memorial concert for a folk music promoter. Guest is a master of the ever-so-slightly-askew, presenting his eccentric characters in talking-head interviews in which they matter-of-factly reveal themselves to be totally bonkers. There are so many delightful performances here that it's hard to mention them all, but one should note Guest himself, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer--aka Spinal Tap--as a semi-successful folk trio, the Folksmen; Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara, two of the brightest lights of SCTV, as the star-crossed duo Mitch and Mickey; and such underrated masters of comic acting as Fred Willard and Paul Dooley. One of the best things about this movie is that all of the actors are professional-class singers, and write songs that sound absolutely authentic until you listen closely to the words...Anyway, if you have anything like a well-developed sense of humor, you should find "A Mighty Wind" a source of constant chuckles and frequent belly laughs.
Rating: Summary: Disappointing at best. Review: I am a huge fan of Christopher Guest's movies, so I anxiously awaited the release of this film and saw it the night it came out. Wow. What a shock. The film was markedly unfunny and the usually inventive cast did not deliver. The standout performance was Catherine O'Hara's as a folkie who revives and resolves a long buried relationship and career. The character was nuanced and bittersweet, throwing into stark relief the overacting of others in the cast. Eugene Levy, for example, mugged and grimaced his way through the film. And what was with the voice? His performance in American Pie was much superior to this one. I found the last scene in the movie to be offensive and superfluous, and I couldn't understand why it was included. It is unlike Guest to go for the cheap laugh, but there it was, big as life. It didn't help that the entire audience burst into nervous laughter. If you must see this, wait until the video release. You'd be much better off watching the deleted scenes from Best in Show, which are hilarious!
|