For the
sake of not having to write the same intro a million
different ways throughout the rest of time, just know that
this column avoids the overly long and sometimes dull
process of full film reviews and instead opts to break
things down based on what I thought going in, what happened
while I was there and what I learned at the end of it all.
Hope that's OK.
Read on!
SXSW
Breakdown - The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern
Lights
The Impression:
Jack and Meg tear it up across Canada.
The Reality:
While there's plenty of beautifully shot footage that
details how great The White Stripes are as performers, this
documentary essentially has two sides to it. One
showcases the fact that they're a band that can do anything
they want. One note show? Done. Perform
via a boat? Done. Setup shop and rock a bowling
alley for free? Done. It's incredible. I'm
not sure I couldn't even think to wish for such access and
adoration.
And the other side of this film? That's all about the
relationship between Jack and Meg. I won't say too
much about it, as much of it is done so subtly that you just
need to see it, but do know that director Emmett Malloy
provides a rare and interesting glimpse at how they interact
with each other off-stage.
The Lesson:
The White Stripes are one of the defining rock bands of our
generation. Accept it. Or just look foolish.
- John Laird -
-
Unless
otherwise expressly stated, all text in this blog and any
related pages, including the blog's archives, is licensed by
John Laird under a
Creative Commons License.
