A Mighty Wind (Cinema: January 2004)

Another installment from Mr Jamie Lee Curtis, Baron Whatsiname aka Christopher Guest, the man that brought you Spinal Tap, Waiting For Guffman & Best In Show. A Mighty Wind continues this thick vein of parody with a look at the Folk Music scene (which Guest was once, briefly, a part of). But as anyone that has followed Guest (and Levy)'s recent string of subtle pisstakes will tell you, it's not just down to Chris Guest but rather the ensemble of hard-working, underapplauded & under awarded actors that mark these features as the best of the best in their genre (but with competition like Scary Movie perhaps this is more of an insult than a complement...).

There's no point me mentioning names because with the exception of Eugene Levy & Parker Posey you won't have heard of any of them but will definitely recognize the faces. And anyone who's seen Best in Show will be glad to hear they're all back (and more).

Perhaps I'm a little impatient (or have been watching too much HW trash) but the first ten minutes left me wandering if perhaps Best In Show was to be the peak of these productions. Now I'm not a folk music afficionado so I'm sure alot of the wit escapes me (but then again what do I know about dog shows?) but A Mighty Wind proves a little more gentle than previous efforts.

If it weren't for the sheer charisma of the cast, Levy would've surely walked away with the film, ironic considering his almost unrecognizable Mitch is the first time I can remember that he's ventured from of the nerdy stereotype that has served him so well from Club Paradise upto the recent success of American Pie. He is folk's most famous acid casualty, the Ozzy Osbourne of the inoffensive.

It's also nice to see those more peripheral performers from Best In Show getting to hog the limelight a little, while others like Mary Gross are surely blossoming into great talents. Ed Begley Jr for one is laugh out loud funny, while the husband & wife team of Gross & Michael Baser are pure class.

While A Mighty Wind is not as rawkous as Spinal Tap or high-tempered as Best in Show, I guess this is the point and the sign of a studious filmmaker. If you're like me, you might miss a few of the jokes & find it a little flat in parts but for fans of Best in Show, it's a must...

Good wholesome family fun.

RATING:

(c)Limer 2004