Nowhere is “mood music” more vitally important than in cinema. Starting with “The Graduate,” in which director Mike Nichols integrated Simon and Garfunkel songs so memorably into his masterpiece, popular music has played a huge role in film. Movies that are about music have even more important soundtracks. Plenty of films have “background” music in the foreground. What are the best films for music lovers?
No one would deny that a big part of the success of Cameron Crowe’s 2000 film “Almost Famous” was the fabulous soundtrack, laden with gems from the movie’s time period, itself an unquestionable music heyday. Music is as important to that moving and atmospheric flick as it is to the characters in it.
Unfortunately for Crowe, his first love, music, which also figures prominently in his earlier work like “Singles” (1992) and “Say Anything” (1989), seems to have taken up too much of his time and energy in some of his subsequent efforts. 2001’s “Vanilla Sky” was interesting but spotty, and “Elizabethtown” wasn’t spotty at all, it was just bad.
Once upon a time, of course, they made movie musicals, in which the characters actually sing and talk. Periodically, filmmakers trot this old convention out and see if they can make something new out of it. I hated “Moulin Rogue,” and the idea of having Ewan McGregor singing Madonna songs did not work for me. I was also not thrilled by “Chicago,” which sucked the excitement out of a live musical play and left the actors looking silly.
However, the recent film that uses all Beatles’ music, “Across the Universe,” has actually managed to by and large hit the right notes. A close cousin to music movie classic “Pink Floyd The Wall,” Julie Taymor’s unabashed art film tendencies make this essentially a very long music video, hanging by a thread from a slight plot. It works best when she cleverly reinterprets the songs, such as when Uncle Sam sings “I Want You” to young men drafted into the Vietnam War, and they labor to carry the Statue of Liberty singing “She’s So Heavy,”
This film rewards the Beatles fan in the same way that “Shakespeare in Love” rewarded the English major (I happen to be both so I’m obviously biased.) It is also not for the cynical; I’ll just go ahead and let you know that they’ll keep on singing throughout the film, and that it’s extremely theatrical and stagy. Visually, however, it has moments that are truly spectacular. Taymor’s use of puppetry and animation is superb.
Of course, documentaries about musicians feature their music extensively. The life of a musician lends itself to drama, and there are some wonderful rock docs and biopics that would be at home at the Grammy or the Academy Awards. Bad times make for good viewing and listening in the majority of these films.
Even if you’ve never heard of the bands The Dandy Warhols or The Brian Jonestown Massacre, you will marvel at the emotional spectacle that is “DiG! (2004.) It should also be shown to school children to warn them off drugs-possibly even attending rock concerts- as the central drama is the repeated failure by the talented but completely self-destructive musician Anton Newcombe, primarily because of a firm commitment to constant drug use. Vanity is a close second in the list of characteristics on display throughout this film.
That song remains the same in Margaret Brown’s look into the life of relatively unknown but respected Townes Van Zandt, “Be Here to Love Me,” (2004.) While it delves extensively into his musical influences and experiences, this film’s greatest strength is in its restrained treatment of his life with his own family. The poignant if unspoken message there is that between his tumultuous life and early death, he was not, in fact, there to love them.
Another film that will make you glad your music career never took off is “The Devil and Daniel Johnston,” although mental illness would clearly beleaguer its subject no matter what job he had. Johnston, who is still very much alive and kicking, is an incredibly rich source, particularly because a he has acted upon a documentary impulse towards himself since childhood.
Between interviews and decades of Johnston’s own recordings and writings, this film creates one of the most fascinating documentary portraits you are likely to see. It is exhilarating and heartbreaking, like the most unforgettable refrain of your favorite song.
Contact Asia Frey at afrey@lagniappemobile.com.
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