Living in Toronto, once a year I get the benefit of having the world's largest film festival come to my doorstep. Tonight I was lucky enough to be in the audience for the first screening of Scott Hicks' new biographical movie on composer Philip Glass. I did not know what to expect from this film, namely because I was only vaguely familiar with Glass' work and also because I was skeptical that a movie about a minimalist composer would be either entertaining or fascinating. But my initial doubts were completely wrong - the movie blew me away. The movie was very profound, extremely interesting, and surprisingly funny - not to forget full of beautiful music (this movie has introduced me to the work of this wonderful composer who I would otherwise have never explored). The cinematography was also excellent - far beyond what you get in the usual documentary. Hicks' breakdown of Glass' life into 12 distinct stages was the perfect way to show him at his different mental states. Near the start of the movie, Hicks shows footage of Glass that you (or at least those who are not Glass followers)originally think has nothing to do with his music. Yet as the movie goes on, and you reach deeper and deeper within Glass'life and his head, you realize that what the other footage is showing is key to understanding Glass because it makes up an essential part of Glass' musical origins/motivations. The movie begins slowly but builds into a powerful crescendo.
Glass' life is not only interesting due to his line of work, for he paints a good picture of how he engages in a complex artistic process. His comments on music and art are original and very worthwhile; even if you have no interest in Glass' music, his comments on his process are worthwhile for anyone interested in art of any sort. This is a movie worth seeing.
