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A Mighty Wind /

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Bob Balaban 

Directed by: Christopher Guest 

Produced by: Karen Murphy 

Written by: Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy 

Distributor: Warner Brothers

 

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Movie Image

     Christopher Guest, the mastermind behind mokumentaries like This is Spinal Tap and Waiting for Guffman, is back yet another time, with his latest—A Mighty Wind. This isn’t the typical Guest show, nor is it as funny as his other films. Sure, there’s the substantial interviews and humorous dialogue, but the style has changed. This isn’t exactly for the worse, nor is it for the better. But, I do know one thing; it’s funny. A Mighty Wind is still definitely a jolly good time, as well as an appreciable one. Comedy is hard to write, but Guest’s flicks delivers time after time. The mokumentary is a genre hard to wear out. Each subject Guest picks fun at is always amusing to watch, and almost all of his jokes appear to be as new and fresh as they come.

     The victim of the satire this time is folk music. It would seem hard to pick fun at such a helpless group of people, into such a gleeful bunch of tunes, but Guest pulls it off. But he didn’t accomplish such alone. Eugene Levy co-wrote the film, and stars in it too. Levy, who is always hilarious, no matter what the material, proves that his performance in A Mighty Wind is without exception. He delivers what he has written without flaw, and is comically enlightening while doing so. A Mighty Wind has something for everyone; great performances, fluent comic writing, and a helpful soundtrack. At the time, it is one of a few must-see movies.

     While the dialogue is undeniably hilarious, the musical numbers are the best part of A Mighty Wind. The facial expressions of the characters while singing, spoofed song lyrics, and the tones of each of the songs are first-rate. The musical renditions and original performances are what ultimately make this film worth the ten bucks that you have to dish over to get in. When viewing, I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. A Mighty Wind provides some of the most shockingly funny and unbelievably fresh humor of the last five years. And, unlike the many jokes in Guest’s masterpiece This is Spinal Tap, you don’t have to know a whole lot about the material in A Mighty Wind to be able to laugh at the jokes.

     The sets, make-up, and costumes aren’t too shabby. It’s strange how many laughs a film can bring its audiences, simply because of what clothes the characters are wearing. The hippy-folksters are in the most hysterical of costumes anyone could ever imagine. The sets aren’t particularly decorative, but the humor that comes along with them is utterly hilarious. And what is even more laughable is each of the women’s faces. Every single one of them is as red as a cherry. To accompany these nutty fronts, comes their rotten, but amusing vocals and personalities. A Mighty Wind is just, plain, folk gone wrong, and this is the way the filmmakers want it to be; thankfully pleasant.

     A Mighty Wind is one of the best films out at this time, and one of the best comedies I’ve seen in the last year and a half. It’s more likable than it is funny, and will bring more smiles than laughs; but has a beautiful feel for its sense of humor, which is what makes it so easy to enjoy. This one will help Christopher Guest’s resume, even though it isn’t anywhere near his best work, which just goes to show us how ingenious he really is. For what it is, A Mighty Wind pleased me extremely, and adequately meets the many standards I have for comedy on film.

-Danny, Bucket Reviews

 


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