Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga

This is a version of a review airing on ABC Radio Central Victoria on July 13, 2020.

(M) ★★★★

Director: David Dobkin.

Cast: Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Pierce Brosnan, Dan Stevens, Melissanthi Mahut, Demi Lovato, Mikael Persbrandt, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson.

Now streaming on Netflix.

Game Of Thrones: The Musical was always inevitable.

A lot of people don't "get" Eurovision. They don't understand that, yes, it's supposed to be ridiculous, and that the songs have a certain "Eurovisionness" to them. Yes, the costumes and stage designs are over-the-top, and there are way too many fans, flame jets, and key changes. but they miss the fact that it's all part of the fun. It's about music and performance being good within a certain set of Eurovisiony parameters, while also bringing people together and shining a little bit of joy on an often dark world.

But a lot of people can't get on board for that. They see the cheese but can't get past the smell to enjoy the flavours and subtleties.    

But The Story Of Fire Saga gets it. It understands the inherent craziness of the song competition, but treats it reverently. Like a weird step-child, the film embraces Eurovision for what it is, and loves it all the more for its peculiarities. 

Writer-producer Will Ferrell stars as Lars Erickssong, a typically Ferrell-esque man-child who dreams of representing his native Iceland at Eurovision. With his childhood friend and secret admirer Sigrit Ericksdottir (McAdams), he plays pub gigs with their covers band Fire Saga, and together they write songs they hope will take them to the top of the long-running music competition, much to the disdain of Erik's father (Brosnan).

It's the love and respect shown to Eurovision that makes this work (and it's worth noting the real song competition had a pretty solid hand on the tiller here - Eurovision boss Jon Ola Sand is an executive producer). If the film had been a snarky pisstake, fans wouldn't have been on board and the whole thing would have reeked of snobbery.

Instead The Story Of Fire Saga revels in the competition's bizarre mix of absurdity and seriousness, which suits Ferrell down to the ground. He's compelling and hilarious in a role perfectly suited to him - his archetypal character after all is weirdos who take themselves very seriously. And alongside McAdams, who is equally willing to commit to the vibe, they make a pretty solid comedy couple, even if it's hard to buy their romantic connection.

The music works well and is suitably Eurovisiony, from the ludicrous opener Volcano Man and the ridiculous Russian entry Lion of Love to the more straight-ahead Double Trouble and the showstopper Husavik. A mid-movie sing-off reminiscent of (admittedly far superior sequences from) Pitch Perfect is pure fan service, as are the in-jokes, but even if you're not a fan of the song contest, there's a lot to like here. It's funny, strange, and enjoyable - like good comedies should be.

Ferrell, a self-confessed fan of Eurovision, has found something that sits in his comedic sweet spot, and has made his best out-and-out comedy film since Step Brothers. Remarkably, he's also made something that's bound to appeal to devotees of the long-running song contest.