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Reviews
Big Easy Express (2012)
A truly great film which stays true to the music, the performers and their performances.
Acting half as a musical documentary and half as a series of live music videos, Big Easy Express shows the tour of Old Crow Medicine Show, Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zero's and Mumford & Sons journey across the US on a train in which they have all to themselves. To say that the film is shot beautifully would be an understatement, candid as if the members of the bands don't even realize they are there at all. Director Emmet Malloy use of black and white, coffee stained filters, and scenes of the classically beautiful American mid west landscape and the old rusty train and contrasts them with the various modern cities they visit, perfectly encapsulates the contemporary folk sound of each of the bands.
Perhaps the films only flaw, if you can even call it that, is that there's too much music. By that I mean in the one hour length of the movie there are probably more than a dozen songs played. What I'm getting at is that there is far too little interviews and insight into the musicians themselves, and when it is done it feels kinda forced. Although as I continue to think about the movie, that's what also makes the movie great and unique in a way. As the movie goes on each of the members grow on you, you begin to realize that they are actually very different types of people but always smile as they play a song and it seems like they have been playing with each other for decades. The insights which are lost in the lack of interviews are gained in a much more definite and poignant way through the minute details you pick up as you practically live the journey with them.
More than anything the film is a showcase of some of the best contemporary folk/bluegrass/acoustic music of our time. Whether its Alex Ebert's voice, Marcus Mumford's charm or Jade Castrinos quirkiness, this is a truly great film which stays true to the music, the performers and their performances.
Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2011)
Sweet and slow
If your familiar with any of the Duplass brothers films than Jeff, Who Lives at Home's low budget, shaky camera and general mumblecore-ness will be no surprise to you. Whoever much like their previous film Cyrus, this one is much more aimed at a mainstream audience, especially with such a well-known cast in Jason Segel, Ed Helms and Susan Sarandon.
The film is acted beautifully by all, and while you might feel confused about the direction the film is going during the first half of the film, it wraps up very nicely in the end in one great sweet moment. However, what makes this film is the inclusion of Susan Sarandons kind of parallel storyline which stays separate to the main line of story until the end, without her inclusion the film would be relatively mediocre, because of the fact that her character ties up the ending so well, and it is the ending that makes this movie great.
The film doesn't suffer from any major problems but the it can be said that the settings are often very bland and boring, probably due to the low budget of the movie. I also felt that the inclusion of a sort of mystical nature to Jeff's thinking was forced and didn't seem to fit in the story as much as I thought the brothers wanted.
Overall the movie shines a light hearted, well acted film with a very fulfilling sweet ending.
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