A Mighty Wind (2003)

Missing the Spirit

A Mighty Wind was a great idea for a movie. Unfortunately the producer completely missed the spirit. I found much of the movie difficult to watch. The actors were ALL stuttering and stammering from begining to end. There are a few bright spots. Catherine O'Hara continues to weave her way into my heart. Fred Willard brings color and action to a rather stale script. Fortunately there are a few moments when the film actually looks like it's supposed to. The actors did seem to enjoy and have fun with their roles.

The biggest missing part of the film is it's spirit. I have seen folk musicians on stage and they always try to get the audience involved. Folk music is supposed to be common, everyday people rising up singing. Here we get paid professional musicians on stage performing a concert. I did not recognize one song that was performed. How am I going to engage if I don't even know what is being played? The biggest flop was the character Mitch. His character was afraid of the stage. It should have been the other-way-around. His neurosis should have had him DESPERATE to get back on stage, back into the spotlight. Music takes attitude. Any musician (Acid Rocker, Hard Rocker, Grunge Rocker . . .) knows you walk out on stage and say "SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO THIS". Then turn up the volume even more. (If the audience goes deaf they shouldn't have bought tickets to our concert. We were smart. We brought hearing protection.)

If the actors weren't stammering and stuttering so much I would have given it 3 stars. I just couldn't get engaged. July 23, 2008

A Mighty Wind

This was a wonderful spoof on a special time in music. There is some good music on the video and fun to watch with a glass of wine and friends! July 11, 2008

To do Retro then was very Nowtro

This is a more gentle musical satire than Spinal Tap, but no less an acheivement. There are beautifully detailed performances from Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara as the former folk sweethearts Mitch and Mickey.

The husband and wife out of the New Mainstreet Singers reveal their devotion to an 'unconventional deity' - to do with the 'vibratory power of colour' - that exists only in the mind of Mrs Bohner, operating on the 49th dimension...

Eugene Levy steals the film as the heavily medicated, rabbit forever caught in headlights, Mitch Cohen. Catherine O'Hara's Mickey Crabbe (formerly Devlin) rediscovers her love for music-making and becomes a singing/autoharp strumming advertisement for her husband's bladder control business, 'Sure-flo, Sure-flo, less time for patients means you're on the go...'

There's a swedish promoter who intermittantly speaks something other than his mother-tongue. He creases me up every time, it will hit you as well if you were brought up with Klezmer...

You'll sigh with pleasure as a bass-voiced upright-bass player has a change of (more than) heart after reuniting with his former band-mates and developing his skincare routine.

There's so much to love in this film, including many humorous and frankly brilliant songs. Mighty Wind gets better with every viewing. April 22, 2008

I let out a geshrai, and I'm running around like a vildeh chaya, ...

This is my all-time favorite Guest film. The title of my review cames from a very funny bit by Ed Begley Jr.
That's the thing about Guest's films, and especially this one: people remember the scenes and the lines. "Aaaaveeeeee Mariiiiiiiia!" "I Don't Think So!" "Hey! I Can't Do My Work!" "I Got a Widdle Wed Wagaon" (Yes, I know it sounds dreadful on paper but it's a lot better when Fred Willard delivers it.)
The cast is wonderful: Eugene Levy is especially good as the burned-out folkie Mitch, who, for a special memorial performance, is about to reunite on stage with his former singing partner Micki (Catherine O'Hara). And the rest of the cast is wonderful as well: Bob Balaban as the fretful manager of the concert hall, and Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer as The Folksmen, sort of like the Kingston Trio, but a lot funnier. Fred Willard cracks me up as a manager to The New Main Street Singers. If you like Christopher Guest's films, you should see this.

Haha. "My sister said I shouldn't have kissed him if I wasn't going to go all the way!"
April 8, 2008

The funniest film ever made

The best of the Chris Guest films--with great outtakes. Don't finish the rest of this brief review; buy this. (Why are you still reading? Start clicking away to buy it. Don't make me repeat myself. Don't make me repeat myself. Don't make me repeat myself. Don't make me repeat myself. Don't make me repeat myself. Don't make me repeat myself. Don't make me repeat myself. Don't make me repeat myself. Don't make me repeat myself. Don't make me repeat myself. Don't make me repeat myself. Don't make me repeat myself. Good, you finally stopped reading and are ready to buy. Come on, buy it.) January 12, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...