After thirty active years there have been more than a handful of documentaries about Athens, Georgia’s most famous rock band R.E.M. To take on a brand new one, four years after the band split up in 2011, is not an obvious endeavor seeing how all the band members (with the exception of a small project here or there) have remained mostly quiet since their departure. R.E.M. by MTV however is a fresh and entertaining take on the band, starting from the very beginning and moving forward with great pace and covering most of their stages, if some do pass by a little too fast. Made by Alex Young, who makes his directorial debut with the film, it is not only a reminder of a great and still influential band, but an era that now has come and gone. MTV was once an institution when it came to distributing good music and letting audiences discover new bands through their shows and stages. For this alone, the film works as a nostalgic trip, but above all it is another significant document on one of the most important American bands of their generation.
One of the most pleasant surprises of the season is Danny Collins, a sharp and charming dramatic comedy starring Al Pacino in the title role as an aging rock star determined to change his ways. Much credit has to go to Dan Fogelman, who makes his directorial debut with this, after serving as a writer for many successful comedies and animation films over the past decade. The film is funny, warm and even manages to be moving towards the end. Pacino and his supporting characters – with Annette Bening and Bobby Cannavale as the standouts – all have great chemistry together and it is one of the finest ensembles of the year. It does get a bit carried away with its motives and ambitions towards the end, but it does not take anything away from what is a great and lovely surprise.
The Church of Scientology has been a source for many explorations in several formats. Books, films and news shows have all had a stab at this controversial religion since it originated in the early 1950s. Alex Gibney, the Oscar-winning director of Taxi to The Dark Side (2007) and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) among others is the latest to take a crack at it, with a frank and critical documentary for HBO, engaging former members that have now left the church. Going Clear: Scientology and The Prison of Belief is a fascinating and thorough look at the religion, despite being virtually one-sided with critics as the church itself declined any involvement with the film. It is at times disturbing and hard to believe, even though the criticism at times feels too repetitive from the film's limited talking heads. However, there is an impressive amount of archive material to back it all up. Gibney has provided an entertaining documentary, never afraid to use gritty realism and tragic personal fates as means to get there.
ESSENTIAL LISTENING THIS MONTH:
The fact that James Taylor’s new album is his first featuring original material in more than a decade should be enough to catch the attention of anyone with a remote interest in American music. Before This World is indeed worth checking out, and not just for the curiosity of what the now 67 year old singer/songwriter is in fact capable of. The album (Taylor’s seventeenth all together) consists of ten tracks, all layered up in a suiting production, with cool yet charming and subtle flare. Taylor recorded the album in his own barn, with just his bass player and percussionist as company. The result is a soft sounding and very enjoyable record that is a worthy comeback for the legendary American songwriter.
This writer has never been a fan of cover albums in general, but an exception has to be made when it is the work of Iron and Wine & Ben Bridwell. The first being the stage name for singer /songwriter Sam Beam and the ladder is singer and front man of acclaimed folk/rock outfit Band of Horses. Sing Into My Mouth features songs originally recorded by greats such as Talking Heads, John Cale, Spiritualized and Bonnie Raitt to name a few. It’s a quite original collection of artists and bands to draw inspiration from, but the end result is a well composed and brilliantly put together record that has a nice flow and is crowded by beautiful moments. Beam and Bridwell work lovely together and if not on paper, on tape they are a perfectly sensible pairing for duets and collaborative arrangements.
The folk rock act Sun Kil Moon is not one that’s easy to get to know. After several failed attempts by this writer to properly engage in their stuff, their seventh studio record Universal Themes released this month would be the one to finally succeed. It’s an outfit of music that’s hard to describe by comparisons or relatives, it simply needs to be heard to be understood (or at least tried to be!). Despite its non-commercial approach and mix of genres throughout – or even within each track – this album is still one that sticks with you, including a decent amount of time after you’ve first heard it. That is if you can get past the ridiculous song titles. Here, enjoy the album’s final track This Is My First Day And I’m Indian And I Work At A Gas Station.
