LUCIDMEDIA

The Movies of Canadian Music Week

Written by Adam A. Donaldson Monday, 16 March 2009 16:24

Here After

Part dance film, part expressionist drama, and part music video, Here After is fascinating if not completely confounding. One thing’s for certain: it never bores you, and in fact sets your mind a glow by pondering the possibilities of the timing, the expression, or just the general shape of scene. The dancers are incredibly impressive with a variety of difficult moves where their bodies contort in nearly impossible ways. The stark and loosely drawn set offers a multi-purpose stage where just about any move is possible. Finally, the greatness of cinematography cannot be understated, with its glassy stare and crystal sharp clarity. Here After won’t be to everyone’s taste – it’s a very arty film after all – but it’s definitely worth giving a chance to.

Spare Change

This short, co-produced by the NFB, is probably the last work by famed Canadian animator Ryan Larkin, best known for being the subject of the Academy Award winning short Ryan. Using a song by Chiwawa as a template, the film features a semi-autobiographical element as Ryan pan handles and is accosted by two kids telling him he should “sing or something” for the change he gets. From there, the film segues into a loopy, trippy through the mind of Larkin as the visuals contort and shift with lyrical precision. It’s rough, but it’s beautiful too. A work of tremendous focus and artistic ambition.

You Are Free

A combination of concert film and confessional, You Are Free is a frank sit down with musician and painter Joseph Arthur. Arthur is a one of a kind talent in both fields, especially in his music which uses technology in interesting ways to mix and accompany live sounds or to otherwise carry on the musical portion while he steps back to the wall behind him to make a few brushstrokes on the hanging canvas. One can easy mistake his interview portions as typical musician extemporizing about the significance of their music, but for Joseph, his music truly is his life. Plus, it’s fairly rare to hear a musician really describe what it is they do in their own words with prompting interview questions. Regardless, You Are Free is honest, direct and above all engaging.

Anvil

If you want you’re name say “heavy metal,” you can really up with nothing better than calling yourselves “Anvil.” This Canadian band rose to popularity in the early 80s, got their 15 minutes and faded away from the scene, but someone forgot to tell the band’s core members Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner that they were supposed to give up and put their gear away for a so-called normal life. Anvil has played steadily for the last quarter of a century, even if that play’s been for little to no money in front of less than three-figure crowds. Their paradoxical career is the subject of Anvil, a documentary that’s made waves from Sundance to Hot Docs.

This is not you’re typical bio-film there’s no ascending thrill, devastating fall and from the ashes rise for Anvil. As noted by name musicians like Lars Ulrich, Slash and Scott Ian, there was a time when Anvil was rising with the pack and then they simply weren’t part of the cast picture anymore. What happened? There’s no one right answer, and even if there were, it wouldn’t be because they’re from Canada, thank you Lars Ulrich. Being Canadian didn’t hurt Bryan Adams and Anne Murray none.

So what makes Anvil, the movie not the band, so great? It’s got humour, it’s got pathos, and it’s got heart. The journey these gentlemen have undertaken is impressive, if only for sheer grit and determination. The film chronicles a bit of the year in the life as these rockers, now in their 50s, try their damnedest to make their rock and roll dreams come true only to keep encountering one kind of obstacle or the other. It literally comes to blows sometimes, but the beauty of director Sacha Gervasi’s vision is that he doesn’t blink or think twice about showing Anvil’s warts. The legend of this festival darling will surly continue to and more than likely gets the credit as the reason why Anvil was inducted in the Indies Hall of Fame at CMW.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead

This is one of those movies that just shakes your monkey cage with its sheer awesomeness. Should the theatre god that is Tom Stoppard be upset that what is arguably his most well known play, has a had a sacrilege against it by adding camp and vampires to his vaunted stage affair? Hardly, and apparently not since the film’s composer Sean Lennon (yes, that Sean Lennon) kept him in the loop about it and introduced him to director Jordan Galland. Galland is well known for his musical work in the band Domino, but with RAGAU he shows himself a talented and inspired filmmaker.

Fans of the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie should make not of this title, and before the TV purists shriek in horror remember that while the film lacked the former future series’ subtext, it was undeniably fun and campy. In this spirit does Undead pursue complete with a dry wit and a no-holds-barred willingness to “go there” for a laugh. The cast includes Devon Aoki (Sin City) John Ventimiglia (The Sopranos), Kris Lemche (24: Redemption), Jeremy Sisto (Law & Order), Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid), Waris Ahluwalia (Inside Man) and Jake Hoffman (son of Dustin) as the hapless hero, theatre director Julian.

I don’t want to spoil anything, other than to say that I laughed deliriously from beginning to end. Even the film’s (relatively) crumby special effects are exploited to provide comedic potential as opposed to allowing them to just make a mockery of the film by treating them as real. There are a couple of places in the film where the comedy doesn’t quite zing, but in proportion it’s because some scenes are more packed with laughs than others. This was the Canadian debut of the film, and I look forward to seeing it many, many more times in the future.