A Mighty Wind

A Mighty Wind (2003) - Review
I don't know if anyone else makes movies like Christopher Guest makes, but nobody makes them better. I don't know of anyone who wields the scalpel of satire with such a gentle, human touch. This film is the most recent of his masterpieces, the other two being Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show. He's taken the format of Rob Reiner's legendary This is Spinal Tap and made it his own unique art form. Props also to Eugene Levy who has co-written and starred in all three of Guest's aforementioned efforts.

I use the term "written" loosely because Guest and Levy only write the story; the dialog is improvised by the cast. I just found this out while watching the DVD commentary (Guest and Levy). This bit of information only enhances my appreciation of these films. In A Mighty Wind, not only do the cast members make up their own lines, they also perform the music themselves. The songs themselves were written by cast members and arranged by John Michael Higgins. (If you saw Best in Show, he was the non-Michael McKean gay guy.) Phenomenal.

Can't say enough about the performances of Levy and Catherine O'Hara. They are hilarious but poignant as the emotional heart of the film. O'Hara learned to play autoharp (I know! Hilarious!) for this film and looked like a virtuoso to me.

In one sitting I watched the film, watched it again with commentary, then watched the video footage of the concert. I really do have a life. Really.

I don't know why I can't give this film a 5. Maybe I'm like The Acadamy... comedies just can't win Best Picture. I dunno. As much as I love this film, it just doesn't feel right to give it a 5.

(out of 5)