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The American Film Theater was a noble experiment -- one that should have lasted longer. But atrocious adaptations such as this were just nails in the AFT's coffin. "Jaques Brel is Alive and Well..." was a trim little musical revue that highlighted the songs (in liberally paraphrased English translations) of Jaques Brel. It was minimally staged, with no scenery and few bells or whistles -- just four singers who poured their hearts and souls into every number. You could just sit there and let the songs carry you away.This movie version just plain gets carried away. Not content just to put the songs across, the filmmakers have concocted weird backgrounds, scenery, situations, costumes, props -- everything you could imagine that would draw one's attention away from the music -- and mushes them all together to come up with messy sequences that look like they came from a bargain-budget road production of "Hair." It is absolutely unwatchable. Not even the presence of Brel himself (still alive and well at this time) can get this turkey off the ground.If you love the music, avoid the movie. And if you don't know the music, get someone to play the cast album for you.Jaques Brel's music is alive and well -- but not in this movie.
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