I have watched all four of the "mockumentaries" from Christopher Guest and friends, and I always come away with a great admiration for the multiple talents of the cast. It's remarkable that a group of people could all write, act, compose, and sing (and for Guest, direct) and do each of those things better than most people who specialize in just one. That talent creates some very funny moments and a movie that's well worth watching, but there are also some scenes that fall very flat and remind you why nobody else attempts this kind of comedy.
The movie is at its best early on, when it creates some outlandish personal histories for all the characters, complete with home movies, album covers, and TV footage. A lot of care obviously went into creating the right look and feel of a documentary filled with reminiscences. The humor is indirect, delivered with a straight face by characters who are too serious, too self-absorbed, or too crazy to realize how ridiculous they are. The music is wonderful. The signature songs for the three folk groups are all very believable. You might find yourself humming some of the songs long after the movie is over.
When it works, it works very well. There are some very funny lines in this movie. Documentaries, though, aren't really plotted; they're a series of scenes that may or may not lead to anything dramatic. So if something doesn't work in a mockumentary, it's a very conspicuous failure because it's not funny and it doesn't advance a story. Ironically, it's the best natural comedian in the cast, Eugene Levy, who has the highest failure rate in the film. His Mitch character is highly traumatized and lacks the swelled sense of self-importance that makes satire seem like justice. Watching him stare blankly, or, surrounded by pill bottles, struggle to articulate a simple thought, goes beyond what I'm able to laugh at.
If you haven't seen This is Spinal Tap and Waiting for Guffman, see those first. Only if you like those two should you watch A Mighty Wind and Best in Show.
The movie is at its best early on, when it creates some outlandish personal histories for all the characters, complete with home movies, album covers, and TV footage. A lot of care obviously went into creating the right look and feel of a documentary filled with reminiscences. The humor is indirect, delivered with a straight face by characters who are too serious, too self-absorbed, or too crazy to realize how ridiculous they are. The music is wonderful. The signature songs for the three folk groups are all very believable. You might find yourself humming some of the songs long after the movie is over.
When it works, it works very well. There are some very funny lines in this movie. Documentaries, though, aren't really plotted; they're a series of scenes that may or may not lead to anything dramatic. So if something doesn't work in a mockumentary, it's a very conspicuous failure because it's not funny and it doesn't advance a story. Ironically, it's the best natural comedian in the cast, Eugene Levy, who has the highest failure rate in the film. His Mitch character is highly traumatized and lacks the swelled sense of self-importance that makes satire seem like justice. Watching him stare blankly, or, surrounded by pill bottles, struggle to articulate a simple thought, goes beyond what I'm able to laugh at.
If you haven't seen This is Spinal Tap and Waiting for Guffman, see those first. Only if you like those two should you watch A Mighty Wind and Best in Show.