Michael's Movie Grade: A-
A top-notch musical biopic.
With musical biopics being a dime a dozen right now, one of these movies has to be something very special to stand out. Luckily this film is just that. Director and co-writer Bill Pohlad (who brought us the Brain Wilson biopic, Love and Mercy (2014)) gives us not only a well-made biopic but also a heartfelt and moving character study. Rather than this movie revolving around an artist who has reached an almost iconic status, this is a film about two brothers who most people haven't heard of, The Emerson Brothers. This film tells the true story of how as teenagers these brothers made an album together called Dreamin' Wild. Nothing happened with the record after that and it simply faded into obscurity with no one noticing. However 30 years later, a record collector finds this album and falls in love with it. Due to this he helps the album get the attention he feels it deserves. This leads the two brothers to reunite and play together after years of not being a major part of each other's lives. The story itself is fascinating and one that truly stands out among the many musical biopics that are very similar to each other. However the execution is often times just as good as the story. The character study is enhanced by contrasting on what makes the two brothers so different from each other. Donnie (Casey Affleck) has spent all his time since he was a teenager trying to truly make it in the music world with little to no success. Because of this he has become much more jaded and skeptical than he was as a teenager (Noah Jupe). When this comes up, he views it as his last opportunity to be successful. Joe (Walton Goggins) enjoyed playing with his brother, but music has never been a serious dream for him. So for him, he views this not as his last opportunity but rather as a fun experience allowing him to play with his brother once more. This difference causes tension between the brothers, and this is handled wonderfully. This is because no matter what one of them may say or do, we can always see the love between them. This brings a real warmth to this movie that feels completely natural. This warmth can be felt even in the film's saddest moments, and it makes the movie a pure delight to watch. How much we connect with Donnie is also achieved through Bill Pohlad's great direction. Though filmmaking techniques including distorting the sound and image as well as cutting to Donnie's younger self, Pohlad tells you all you need to know about where Donnie is emotionally. As Donnie Casey Affleck gives a truly wonderful performance that hits every emotional beat perfectly. He is not the only one who is great in this film as there is a truly wonderful supporting cast that includes Zooey Deschanel, Chris Messina, Jack Dylan Grazer and Beau Bridges.
Also important for a movie about musicians the music here is simply wonderful. After watching this film it is easy to understand what those who discovered the Emerson Brothers heard in their music. It is simply wonderful. Adding to this is wonderful songs by other artists that are included on this soundtrack including The Band's great cover of Bob Dylan's When I Paint my Masterpiece.
This is simply a must see.
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