Movie, music and TV reviews by Matt Neal, a Rotten Tomatoes-accredited ABC Radio film critic (also an author, musician, journalist and all-round okay guy).
This is a version of a review airing on ABC Radio across regional Victoria on April 14, 2022.
(PG) ★★★★★
Director: Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson.
"Mister, won't you please help my pony!"
Concert films are usually just documents of bands doing what they do - playing live on stage, in front of fervent audiences, running through their hits.
Sometimes they end up being more than that. Sometimes they become a snapshot of a moment in time, or even an historical document. Sometimes they capture a profound turning point in culture, or demonstrate the deeper power of music and how it connects a community.
Summer Of Soul does all that and more. It captures some incredible artists at the peak of their powers, all performing at a remarkable event, the likes of which have never been seen again. But it's also a powerful essay on civil rights, politics, religion, and black identity, as viewed through the prism of a forgotten piece of history.
Questlove (of The Roots fame) does a marvelous job of capturing and celebrating the vibe and power of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, an event that drew a largely black audience of around 50,000 people to Mount Morris Park over several weekends.
The festival took place the same summer a certain other music festival happened, leading some to dub it the Black Woodstock. The event was filmed, but very little of it was ever aired, despite boasting a killer line-up that included Stevie Wonder, Sly & The Family Stone, The Staple Singers, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Nina Simone, BB King, The Fifth Dimension and more.
In between banging musical performances, Questlove slices in interviews from those who were there, providing important context to the festival. In some cases, he drops pieces of dialogue in between lyrics, like a DJ sampling. In other places, he lets the performances or the recollections run on, like a muso feeding off the audience, not wanting to break the spell.
The magic of music is definitely the key attraction, but it's also used in fascinating ways to explore the culture and politics of the time. The film segues seamlessly through its high-profile line-up in between discussing civil rights, black identity, the importance of the church in black culture, the role of the Black Panthers, the politics of the time, and Harlem's multi-cultural make-up. It's an impressive juggling act that seems effortless.
In Summer Of Soul, the festival becomes not only a lens through which to explore black society and the issues facing it, but a metaphor for black history. That this important event and its amazing line-up were largely forgotten about by the wider American society says it all really.
Questlove's film show the capacity for the music doco to be about so much more than music. It's one of the best examples of the genre to date.
This is a version of a review airing on ABC Radio across regional Victoria on April 14, 2022.
(M) ★★★★
Director: Spike Jonze.
Cast: Adam Yauch, Michael Diamond, Adam Horovitz.
Beastie Boys Story is streaming on Apple TV.
"Welcome to Old Men Dancing!"
On May 4, 2022, it will have been 10 years since the death of Adam Yauch, aka MCA, aka the heart and soul of the hip hop legends Beastie Boys.
That the band ended with his passing is testimony not only to how integral he was to the group, but also the integrity of the remaining members Michael Diamond (Mike D) and Adam Horovitz (Ad Rock). Since Yauch's passing, Diamond and Horovitz have used the Beastie Boys' name selectively, and predominantly to celebrate Yauch and their legacy as a trio.
This integrity and sense of legacy is evident in the two-shot of Beastie Boys Book and Beastie Boys Story. The first is an essential tome detailing the big and small of their career. It allows Diamond and Horovitz to right wrongs, set records straight, and peel back the curtain on a fascinating and hugely influential career.
The second is essentially a live stage show version of the book, turned into a semi-documentary in order to allow it to travel the world without Mike D and Ad Rock having to actually travel the world.
The advantage the doco has over the book is the endless stream of footage and music available to help sell the stories, give visual context, and provide opportunities to poke fun. When things go awry in the live show, Jonze leaves them in, because that's part of what Beastie Boys were all about - goofing around, making each other laugh, and generally having a laugh.
However there was always a seriousness hidden in the beats and rhymes of their music, and that's even more in the mix in Beastie Boys Story. Mike D and Ad Rock talk candidly about the mistakes they made and the personas they created around their smash-hit debut Licence To Ill, and how the touring and success of that record turned them into the very things they despised. Their honesty and mea culpas are impressive.
But it's when they talk about Yauch that the doco really hits hard. Watching Ad Rock struggling to talk about his departed friend is heartbreaking. It's part of the honesty that makes the film feel valuable and important, and not a cash-in - paying tribute to Yauch and his work is a key reason for this doco to exist.
Most of the film is excellent, but some parts don't work. While Ad Rock sounds like he's just chatting with the audience, Mike D sounds like he's reading off an autocue (because he is). Some bits drag and some gags bite. There's also nothing on their final two albums, with the doco skipping from Hello Nasty to Yauch's death - a 14-year leap that omits their post-September 11 album To The 5 Boroughs and their brilliant comeback/farewell Hot Sauce Committee Part II.
Perfect for the hardcore fans, it also serves as a great overview for the casual passers-by. A deeper dive would be welcome, but it feels like this is the best insight we'll ever get into the band, and perhaps the last word on a stunning and influential career.
But is it the kind of feelgood movie we all need after a couple of tough years? Absolutely.
CODA's high-concept story of a girl from a deaf family wanting to be a musician sings as sweetly as its star Emilia Jones, and its themes of dreams, outcasts, communication, joy and family help make this the uplifting and sincere movie experience many have been searching for.
Jones is excellent as Ruby Rossi, the only hearing member of her family. Between her schoolwork, her family's fishing business, and serving as her family's interpreter, Ruby's life is full. When she tries to squeeze in her dream of becoming a singer, as well as having a love life, her world overflows, and she's forced to choose between her own needs and the needs of her family.
CODA succeeds thanks to its great cast, its strong idea (adapted from the French film La Famille Belier), and the sincere way it tells its sweet story. Jones is brilliant, carrying the weight of the film and the singing with apparent ease. She is the shining heart in the centre of the movie and it's no exaggeration to say CODA stands or falls on her shoulders.Thankfully, Jones delivers.
Kotsur is also great, and a worthy winner in a tough best supporting actor field at the Oscars. His award season success has overshadowed Matlin however, whose role is arguably more difficult and multi-faceted than Kotsur's lovable crank. Matlin deserves just as many accolades. Also noteworthy are Durant as Ruby's brother Leo, and Derbez as the passionate music teacher, Mr V.
Heder's adapted screenplay is a neat ball that wraps up most of its story strings nicely. Her direction is unfussy and to the point, which only helps the film's heartfelt sincerity and uplifting nature shine through.
So why isn't it the best film of the year? Compared to the likes of The Power Of The Dog and Belfast, CODA is a safe bet that doesn't push the limits of its artistic endeavours. The cinematography, complexity and thematic depth of the other two mentioned films are leaps and bounds ahead of CODA, as is The Power Of The Dog's score.
But that's ok, that's fine. CODA isn't that kind of film, but it's a beautiful, well-told story is one well worth many accolades and your time.
The music world is in shock. Taylor Hawkins, dead at 50, leaving behind a wife, kids, bandmates, family, friends, and fans. The Foo Fighters drummer shone with a musical intensity and a wild energy that made him a powerful drummer, a fun interviewee, and the best damned singer in Foo Fighters (sorry Dave, though Dave would probably say the same thing).
I've seen Hawkins play with Foo Fighters three times, and when you're not watching Dave Grohl, you're watching Hawkins. As many people have pointed out since his untimely passing, Hawkins was one of the few drummers in the world who could drum in a band with Grohl and make you cool with the fact that Grohl wasn't playing drums.
Here is a short list as a reminder of what we have lost. Vale Taylor Hawkins.
Drumming for Sass Jordan
Hawkins' first big-time rock gig was backing award-winning Canadian singer Sass Jordan around 1992. With her bluesy vocals and Slash-alike guitarist Stevie Salas, Jordan was trying to bridge the worlds of traditional rock and alternative rock, and having Hawkins in the band certainly helped. As evidenced by the first song in this video, Hawkins hit 'em hard but was already developing his own style.
Drumming for Alanis Morissette
Hawkins joined another strong-voiced Canadian singer-songwriter after Sass Jordan, becoming the live drummer for Alanis Morissette on her mammoth Jagged Little Pill world tour from 1995 to 1997. While he didn't play on the album (did you know Flea and Dave Navarro play on You Oughta Know?) he did make it into a couple of her music videos. You can see in this live clip from London in '95 the skills that caught Dave Grohl's eyes and ears. Hawkins' hits with metronomic power, but has groove to spare and a light touch when needed. It's not his drum part he's playing but he's already making it his own.
"Can you play Everlong?"
I have no idea what kind of "audition" Hawkins did to the join Foo Fighters in 1997, but at some point he would have had to prove his worth by playing Everlong. It's one of the toughest drum patterns in the Foo catalogue and while it's Grohl playing it on The Colour & The Shape, Hawkins has played it more - over 1000 times, according to setlist.fm. The song has grown into the definitive Foo Fighters track over the 25 years since its release, and Hawkins' ability to nail that furiously precise hi-hat rhythm and dramatic anticipation night in, night out has surely helped secure the song's legendary status. Sadly, it would be the last song he played live with the band.
Aurora
Hawkins' called Aurora one of his favourite Foo Fighters songs, partly because it was the first track for the band that he felt he really nailed in the studio. His debut album with the Foos - There Is Nothing Left To Lose - is a real reset for the band. They're a three-piece, Grohl is starting to spread his songwriting wings, and Hawkins and bassist Nate Mendel have their input, adding more colour to the Foo palette. Aurora is a highlight of the album, and live it became a monster, as evidenced by this massive seven-minute version from one of the most epic shows they ever did on one of their many Australian visits. The last two minutes are among some of Hawkins' finest work.
Have A Cigar
The first time Hawkins took lead vocals on a Foos track is on this Learn To Fly b-side (remember b-sides?). It's an awesome cover of the Pink Floyd classic, and the band does a great version, giving it a suitably early '00s distorted update. The song was a staple of Foo Fighters' setlists in 2000 before being dropped forever, but it gave us a taste of Hawkins' vocal abilities and greater things to come.
Cold Day In The Sun
Hawkins' first original for the Foos was this tune, which is not only a highlight from the acoustic disc of their 2005 album In Your Honour but it's one of the best songs on either disc. Released as a double A-side with No Way Back, it was originally written by Hawkins some four years earlier. That middle eight is killer. On the Skin & Bones tour, Hawkins unleashed his inner Phil Collins/Levon Helm/Roger Taylor by singing from behind the kit, but later on the song became a chance to get Hawkins out front (and Grohl on the drums). But watch the start of this video from Skin & Bones and your heart will break all over again for the connection between Grohl and his soulmate.
The Pretender
Picking a single Foo Fighters' track that showcases Hawkins' phenomenal drumming is impossible, but The Pretender is a good start. It's one of the more elaborately arranged Foos songs, and Hawkins' plays an integral part in giving the song its free-flowing dynamism. His footwork early on is cool, and as the song shifts from bit to bit, Hawkins' continually finds the best groove to propel it along. My favourite bit is the "boom cha-cha" he drops with less than 15 seconds to go - the song's practically done, but he's still digging up new feels to bring it home.
Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders
In between Foo Fighters albums, Hawkins squeezed in records and tours under the name Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders. He put out three albums in 13 years, and guests on the records included Grohl, Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor, The Cars' Elliot Easton, Guns N' Roses' Duff McKagan, Eagles' Joe Walsh, Heart's Nancy Wilson, and Jane's Addiction's Perry Farrell. The songs range from straight-ahead rock to the slightly proggy (see above) and the utterly nuts - check out I Really Blew It.
Singing with The Doors
If you haven't seen this clip yet, it's an absolute treat. Hawkins does his very best Jim Morrison out front of a band featuring The Doors legends Robby Krieger and John Densmore. It's a suitably swaggering performance, but when he hits that scream at 1m55s, it's uncanny. Hawkins' love of old school rock ran deep - see also his old school rock covers band Chevy Metal.
Bob Quit His Job
Following in the footsteps of his best bud Grohl, Hawkins eventually made a record where he played pretty much every instrument. The result is the EP Kota, which is all Hawkins bar a few choice cameos (including fellow Foos Nate Mendel and Chris Shiflett). A joyously fun collection of glam rock songs written by Hawkins, it includes the swaggering lead single Range Rover Bitch and the sexy shifting rhythms of Southern Belles. But the highlight is this deliriously ecstatic stomper that Hawkins beams in direct from some of the weirder parts of the '70s. If you've never heard this, you are in for a treat.
La Dee Da
Concrete & Gold is the under-rated masterpiece in the Foo Fighters back catalogue, and Hawkins' drumming is a massive part of that. That heavy metal swing in Run is a real highlight, as is his gallop and groove in Make It Right, and the sizzling drag of his hi-hat in his boppy patterns in The Line. But the hands-down winner is the inside-out beats of La Dee Da. I've listened to this song dozens of times and it continues to fuck with my head. He's dropping a beat at the start of each verses right? And then in the middle of the verse? Where's the one? What is going on? It's some tricksy proggy shit and I love it. But my favourite song on this gem of an album is...
Sunday Rain
This delicious slice of '70s AM radio gold is the sleeper on Concrete & Gold and it features Hawkins doing his best Don Henley impression. It's a killer vocal performance but also a genuinely great song with the kind of outro that could go on forever and never get old. Also, how rad is that pink kit in the above clip?
Under Pressure
Foo Fighters' go-to party trick in recent years has been busting out some crazy covers at their live shows with Hawkins on vocals. Just prior to his death, it was Queen's Somebody To Love, but before that they were delivering a spot-on rendition of the Queen + Bowie classic Under Pressure. This version with Rufus "Son Of Roger" Taylor on drums is very cool. Look how much fun Hawkins' is having, but also, check out the vocal range on that motherfucker. He will be missed.
This is a version of a review appearing on ABC Radio across regional Victoria on March 17, 2022.
(M) ★★★★★
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Jude Hill, CaitrÃona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, Judie Dench, Lewis McAskie, Colin Morgan.
"Milk? I thought you got the milk."
In the past decade, Kenneth Branagh has shown he can do pretty much anything as a director. Having mostly left the Bard behind (aside from the little-seen biopic All Is True), Branagh has tackled superheroes, fairy tales, spies, and whodunnits with a fair amount of success.
These big-budget Hollywood-friendly flicks share Branagh's deft hand with drama, light touch with a laugh, and eye for spectacle. This is true too of Belfast, even though it couldn't be more removed from his other recent films unless it was an animated western.
Based on Branagh's own upbringing in the titular city, the story provides a child's-eye-view of The Troubles. Branagh stand-in Buddy (Hill) tries to understand why the Catholics and Protestants of his neighbourhood are at war with each other, and the impact living in Belfast is having on his family.
Aside from being a poignant look at The Troubles and those caught up in it, Belfast is a beautiful essay on innocence, belonging, community and family. There's an honesty and simplicity to the way the story is told, befitting of its young guide. In Buddy, the film has a naïve core that's never manipulative - it just feels real and honest. Much of this is due to Branagh's steady hand, the beautiful black-and-white cinematography of Haris Zambarloukos, and the wonderful performance from 11-year-old Hill, who is a revelation.
Dornan and Balfe are also great as Buddy's parents, as they try to do the right thing by their family in the face of war, depression and recession, without forsaking the city and community they feel is part of their very beings. They're ably assisted by the grandparents, Hind and Dench, who add gravitas and humour to the mix.
The humour is important. Not only does it lighten the heavy load of the film, but it helps capture the Northern Irish charm, spirit and heart in the face of adversity. Belfast is as much a love letter to a lost youth and a loved city, as it is a snapshot of The Troubles. You will laugh out loud throughout this film, just as you'll be wowed and even moved to tears.
Branagh's lived experience obviously shines through in this, but its his ability to distil it into a moving and enjoyable film that's perhaps more important. There are some bravura moments and some beautiful shots that capture the intimacy of a childhood home and community torn apart by religion-fueled insanity.
Little did she know the killer donkeys were right behind her.
Disney's willingness in recent years to expand the horizons of the typical Disney film is commendable. It's generated some intriguing films with compelling ideas. From 2010's Tangled through to the Frozen and Wreck-It Ralph films, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana and last year's Raya & The Last Dragon, Disney's gone to fascinating places and shown us new types of princesses, heroes and anthropomorphic animals.
Amid the pro-active princesses and buddy comedies, one fascinating new trend has been the ability for Disney (and Pixar for that matter) to make the occasional movie without a nominal villain. Frozen doesn't pit its heroines against Big Bad Evil Guys/Gals, but rather against each other, the world at large and their own inner worlds (also check out Pixar's Inside Out for the greatest example of this). To a lesser extent, Moana and Raya & The Last Dragon do this too, with the BBEG being a world in decline. The likes of Scar, Shere Khan, and the various evil stepmothers of the past are nowhere in sight.
Encanto is another magnificent version of this new (for Disney) type of storytelling. It enhances the drama, downplays the action, and finds a beautifully rich world full of compelling characters, culture and self-discovery.
Set in a magical Colombian enclave shut off from the outside world (an encanto), it centres on the Madrigal family. Each member has incredible superpowers except for 15-year-old Mirabel (Beatriz), who is convinced that the family's perfect existence is on the edge of disaster.
Encanto bursts with energy and life - it's in its songs, its characters, and its production design. It's Colombian setting infuses every element, making for a rich lived-in world that's engaging, exciting and fascinating. Mirabel's journey of self-discovery rarely take her outside her own home, but that's cool because even the house is overflowing with personality, culture and magic.
Amid a cast of incredible characters, Mirabel is a marvel. She's determined yet nervous, strident yet confused, and strong yet powerless. Her journey of self-discovery is delivered beautifully and poignantly, and her relationships with the rest of her family, particularly her grandmother, are rich and propel the story forward in wonderful ways.
There is so much to love about Encanto, although for such a fresh story it feels weirdly predictable in some ways. While it manages to subvert expectations on the whole, it still feels kinda obvious in places. Still, the way it gets where its going always feels honest, real and captivating, and there are enough little surprises to keep you guessing.
It's also great fun. The bouncing and colourful songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda are joyous but also keep the story moving, there is humour everywhere amid the heavy themes of self-discovery, family and expectation, and there are enough action beats to keep the pace up.
Encanto is bound to be remembered as The Colombian One, but that shorthand will fail to fully capture the richness of storytelling and absolute joy and heart inside this tale. Come for the culture and songs, but stay for everything else.
This is a version of a review airing on ABC Radio across regional Victoria on February 3, 2022.
(MA15+) ★★★★
Director: Olivia Wilde.
Cast: Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever, Billie Lourd, Diana Silvers, Skyler Gisondo, Jessica Williams, Lisa Kudrow, Will Forte, Jason Sudeikis, Molly Gordon, Noah Galvin, Austin Crute, Victoria Ruesga, Eduardo Franco, Nico Hiraga, Mason Gooding, Mike O'Brien.
The pole repair crew were on the scene.
Remember that classic school-set movie about subverting expectations and stereotypes, discovering your true identity, and realising no one knows who they really are in high school?
Am I talking about The Breakfast Club or Booksmart? The answer is both.
They're great timeless themes, which is why The Breakfast Club has endured, and Booksmart will too. Olivia Wilde's feature film debut has been likened to Superbad, but the truth is Booksmart is so much deeper, richer and bolder. It's also funny as fuck, boasts a cracking soundtrack, and stars a note-perfect cast.
Molly (Feldstein) and Amy (Dever) are two high-achieving, straight-laced high school bookworms who discover on the day before graduation that the kids they perceived to be slackers, wasters, and losers have also managed to get grades good enough to get them into America's top colleges - except they did it while enjoying themselves.
With one night of high school left, Molly and Amy set out to make up for lost time, by enjoying themselves like they've never done before.
The setting is perfect for self-discovery and some classic coming-of-age moments - there's the heartbreak, the gross-out, the make-out, and the accidental drug freak-out. But what's fresh and fascinating is the way Wilde's film weaves its tale of identity and exploration through so many characters. Feldstein and Dever's Molly and Amy are outstanding, hilarious and hold the film together, but there is a fascinating parade of flakes, fakes, floozies and fools on the side that we also get to learn about along the way.
How these kids are perceived and who they really are (and how they don't fully understand who they are) makes for a vibrant and beautiful mess that splatters across the canvas of a "one night on the town" scenario. It feels realistic too - the characters, though convenient in their characteristics, don't come off as kids written by adults. Their existential problems are intriguing, and delivered with humour and heart.
Wilde's direction is assured and energetic, with a couple of fantastical moments that may divide audiences in terms of their effectiveness. But she's taken a classic coming-of-age chassis, updated it, chucked on a few mod-cons, and given it a very fresh paint job. The resulting ride is fast, fun and will take you back to your youth.
