The Work of Director Michel Gondry (2003) (V)

Directors:

Michel Gondry
Lance Bangs

Release Date:

23 October 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Comedy | Music

Plot:

A look at the work of director Michel Gondry, through his music videos, short films, and commercials. |

Cast

Michel Gondry	...	Himself (numerous segments)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Akhenaton	...	Himself (segment "Je Danse Le Mia") (as IAM)
Patricia Arquette	...	(segment "Like a Rolling Stone")
Thomas Bangalter	...	Himself (segment "I've Been Twelve Forever")
Beck	...	Himself (segment "Deadweight" and "I've Been Twelve Forever")
Jean-Michel Bernard	...	Farfisa Organ salesman
Björk	...	Herself (numerous segments)
Jim Carrey	...	The Driver (segment "Pecan Pie") (archive footage)
The Chemical Brothers	...	Themselves (segment "I've Been Twelve Forever")
David Cross	...	The Turd (segment "One Day")
Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo	...	Himself (segment "I've Been Twelve Forever")
Robert del Naja	...	Himself (segment "Protection") (as Massive Attack)
Foo Fighters	...	Themselves (segment "Everlong")
Miho Hatori	...	Herself (segments "Sugar Water" and "I've Been Twelve Forever") (as Cibo Matto)
Taylor Hawkins	...	Himself (segment "Everlong") (as Foo Fighters)
Yuka Honda	...	Herself (segments "Sugar Water" and "I've Been Twelve Forever") (as Cibo Matto)
Mick Jagger	...	Himself (segment "Like a Rolling Stone") (as Rolling Stones)
Stephanie Landwehr	...	Girl (segment "Let Forever Be")
Grant Marshall	...	Himself (segment "Protection") (as Massive Attack)
Massive Attack	...	Themselves (segment "Protection")
Nate Mendel	...	Himself (segment "Everlong") (as Foo Fighters)
Kylie Minogue	...	Herself (segments "Come Into My World" and "I've Been Twelve Forever")
Daft Punk	...	Themselves (segment "I've Been Twelve Forever")
Keith Richards	...	Himself (segment "Like a Rolling Stone") (as Rolling Stones)
The Rolling Stones	...	Themselves (segment "Like a Rolling Stone")
Tom Rowlands	...	Himself (segment "I've Been Twelve Forever") (as The Chemical Brothers)
Ed Simons	...	Himself (segment "I've Been Twelve Forever") (as The Chemical Brothers)
Pat Smear	...	Himself (segment "Everlong") (as Foo Fighters)
Tracey Thorn	...	Herself (segment "Protection") (as Massive Attack)
Mushroom Vowles	...	Himself (segment "Protection") (as Massive Attack)
Charlie Watts	...	Himself (segment "Like a Rolling Stone") (as Rolling Stones)
Jack White	...	Himself (segments "Dead Leaves & the Dirty Ground", "The Hardest Button to Button" and "I've Been Twelve Forever") (as The White Stripes)
Meg White	...	Herself (segments "Dead Leaves & the Dirty Ground", "The Hardest Button to Button" and "I've Been Twelve Forever") (as The White Stripes)
Ron Wood	...	Himself (segment "Like a Rolling Stone") (as Rolling Stones)

Runtime:

USA:30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:16 | UK:E

Company:

Palm Pictures

Trivia:

The White Stripes famous "Fell In Love With A Girl" lego video took over two months to complete. Every shot was done by hand, and changing a single block required much of the "sets" to be rebuilt.

Movie Connections:

Features I've Been Twelve Forever (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Deadweight

All your favourite music videos in one colourful box

Brilliant collection of pop music videos directed by Michel Gondry. Until I saw this DVD by chance in HMV, I had no idea that one man was responsible for so many of my favourite music videos - such as The White Stripes' Lego one, the one where Kylie Minogue walks down the street encountering lots of other Kylies, and the Chemical Brothers 'Let Forever Be'. It also includes some more obscure French ones (Gondry's earlier work). The most outstanding video is probably Bjork's 'Bachelorette', a creepy and beautiful postmodern fairytale with layers upon layers of reality and fiction.

It's fascinating to see them all side by side, as it really shows up some of the themes that run through all of Gondry's videos - for example, repetition but with a slight difference, lots of things that look nearly but not quite the same. The extra bits, short films, interview with Gondry, etc are also very interesting and a must-see for fans of his work.

Also a great DVD to stick on in the background if you have friends round - good tunes, variety of artists, and the coolest videos ever.