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Reviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
A MIGHTY WIND
Director/writer Guest (Best in Show) affectionately spoofs 60s nostalgia and
sanctimonious music documentaries (think VH1’s Behind the Music). The death
of a legendary folk music producer reunites three of that era’s biggest folk acts: the
rejuvenated and hopelessly square The New Main Street Singers; The Folksmen, whose
albums include Singin’, Wishin’ and Pickin’; and the iconic Mitch
and Mickey. After suffering a mental breakdown and asked to leave a mental institution,
Mitch (Levy) has a perpetual caught-in-the-headlights look. It’s a wonder how he’ll make
it through the concert let alone finish a sentence. Spoofing the pomposity of interviews, a
music historian describes a stellar Mitch and Mickey performance as “maybe a great
moment in the history of humans.” And like almost any celebrity interview, a New Mainstreet Singer
(Dooley) can utter something such as “we were at a hootenanny and we were jamming with the Klapper
family” without embarrassment. Although there are no high stakes at play as in
Waiting for Guffman, this fast-paced comedy, crammed with a great and diverse
cast (many of whom have appeared in Guest’s other films) never loses its momentum.
During the concert at New York City’s Town Hall, the cast is so enthusiastic in their
performances that the original score (eerily sounding as if it was of that period) is
toe-tapping infectious, whether you want to admit it or not.
DVD Special features: By far, the
highlight
is the hilarious Mitch and Mindy appearance on the late 1960s crime drama, Dick Berman-Private Eye.
Catherine O'Hara offers the best example of intentional bad acting since
Julianne Moore in Boogie Nights. Another highlight is the added
scene featuring "The Good Book Song," performed by the cheerful automatons, The New Main Street Singers.
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