Premise: A concert documentary of a David Byrne show.
Damn, David Byrne knows how to put on a show. I'm not much of a Talking Heads fan. I don't dislike the music, but I've never felt compelled to put anything in a playlist either. Yet, Byrne and/or the Talking Heads are 2 for 2 with concert docs that totally rule. Two different filmmakers even for the two docs. Granted, two different Oscar-winning filmmakers. Stop Making Sense is one of the all-time great concert docs. Every number in that felt unique and Byrne has a way of making even the most mundane ideas riveting. Is there any reason why that lamp dance should be so enthralling? And the same energy is in American Utopia. The best way I can describe it is "precise mobile chaos". Byrne makes a point to mention how his band is wireless and free to move around. There also are no backing tracks, so the music is live. The band and dancers are always moving around and doing some nicely choreographed stuff. Byrne doesn't quite have the moves that he used to, but everything he does is amplified by the dancers behind him. The music is lively and great. Similar to Stop Making Sense, I came out of it thinking "why don't I have a greatest hits album of them?"
The interstitial bits between songs when Byrne explains something about the song or just muses about something are pretty entertaining too. They feel a little canned, which is fine. He's a musician, not a comedian, so I'd expect him to be a lot better at making the songs sound fresh than the dialogue. I guess I could see it all coming off as a little preachy, but I didn't mind, because it was always quick to get to another banger of a song/performance. I'm sure I need to be directing more love to Spike Lee's direction, but in a good concert doc, the best thing I can say is that the direction was pretty invisible. I feel like I got the same experience as really being there.
Even if you don't specifically like Byrne's music or the Talking Heads, I'd still recommend checking out Stop Making Sense then American Utopia. A good time was had by all.
Verdict: Strongly Recommend
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