The Sparks Brothers meet edgarwright head-on in an epic, wildly entertaining documentary that's filmmaking accompanies its musical subjects perfectly. JacobOller's review:
I didn’t know Edgar Wright would eventually direct a documentary about Sparks when I saw him tweet about a band I’d never heard of in the late 2010s. But, like on so many others before, word of mouth worked and I was hooked on the elusive musicians as soon as I searched them out.
Not an easy task when it comes to Ron and Russell Mael. The Californian brothers have been running Sparks since the late ‘60s , blistering through genres as quickly as their lyrics make and discard jokes. Glam rock, disco, electronic pioneering—and even when they dip into the most experimental and orchestral corners of their musical interests, they maintain a steady power-pop genius bolstered by Russell’s fluty pipes and Ron’s catchy keys.
Wright reflects their unabashed, all-American yet somehow un-American weirdness with endearing animation , tongue-in-cheek reenactments and a constant return to simple, charismatic footage of the brothers themselves—Russell with his Bambi stare and heartthrob jawline, Ron with his signature ‘stache and mesmerizing expression.
The septuagenarian rock gods are a pleasure to watch joke around in the present day, but a jaw-dropping amount of archival records, ranging from actual songs to promotional/behind-the-scenes photos to TV clips, compose the kind of tangible legacy most artists can only dream about. They also make Wright’s film utterly comprehensive…even if he and editors Paul Trewartha and Tobias Zaldua may have felt like they’d discovered Borges’ Book of Sand in the edit bay.
A mastery of match-cuts we’ve seen demonstrated in all of Wrights films is enhanced by his editors’ music doc chops as they play with visual tempo, chopping things up into flashes or ogling long performances. Mixed with that aforementioned collage of form, and you get a film as playful as the Tim Burton manga adaptation that Sparks nearly scored. And one far more fun than, the trashy 1977 disaster movie Sparks appeared in.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Sand & Sparks Fly in Explosive Love in Paradise: The Caribbean, A 90 Day Story Trailer - E! OnlineDiscovery+'s fan favorite franchise 90 Day Fiancé takes on summer vacation flings in the Caribbean for the ultimate summer spin-off series. Get the first look here!
Read more »
Biden to Putin: Help me help youMore than once on Wednesday, as Biden described his meeting with Putin, he tried to make it sound like he was doing the Russian leader a favor by simply giving him some good advice
Read more »
Lil Uzi Vert, Big Freedia, Damian Lillard Featured On New 'Space Jam' SoundtrackThe 'Space Jam: A New Legacy' soundtrack has just been announced ... and it's filled with features from today's biggest stars -- from Lil Wayne to the Jonas Brothers to Kirk Franklin and more!!!
Read more »
Which Real Housewife Has the Worst Husband?Behind every great Housewife there is a truly appalling man.
Read more »
94-Year-Old Has ‘Off The Chain’ Response To New Juneteenth Holiday'I’m humbled by it, I truly am,' said the 'Grandmother of Juneteenth' Opal Lee.
Read more »