Daddy Tran: A Life in 3-D (2008, Director: Sia Tu): At first glance, this appears to be a film about an artist who has a passion for 3-D photography. Unfortunately this film is more about Hai “Daddy” Tran’s lifelong obsession with photography and its impact on his family.
Tran is an interesting subject for a film. He’s charismatic, passionate about photography and he runs a vintage camera store in an industry that is dominated by digital cameras. He loves to collect things and not just a few — thousands of cameras and lenses, jewelry, lights, lawn ornaments. Every door inside his house has multiple locks. It takes four keys just to get inside his house!
I found Hai Tran to be more a lovable eccentric than a true artist or photographer. I was hoping this film would be a little more along the lines of What Remains (2005) or Manufactured Landscapes (2006). Tran appears to be more of a holiday snapper than a photographer. I guess this is why the film focuses more on his obsessions and character rather than his photography.
Daddy Tran: A Life in 3-D is an average documentary film for me. The production values could have been stronger and I found that the same photos were being used repeatedly in different parts of the film.
I might have enjoyed the film a little more if:
the projectionist didn’t stop the film 3 minutes in because it was being shown in the wrong aspect ratio
the film didn’t stop 10 minutes later because it was missing the subtitles
director Siu Ta brought the correct version of the film and checked it before the screening
Siu Ta wanted to cancel the screening and reschedule it for a later date! Thankfully an audience member persuaded her to just show the film. She used a microphone and translated parts of the film while it played.
Watching this film was probably the most unique experience I’ve had at Hot Docs. What made all of these glitches ironic was that it screened with Behind the Glass (review) — a film about projectionists and their importance in the presentation of a film.
Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008, Director: Sacha Gervasi): I knew within five minutes of the film that I loved these guys, and it took about another five minutes for me to decide I was buying a CD from them (NOTE: Available from either of the two links below). That’s not an easy sell. You see, I grew up here in Toronto, Anvil’s hometown, during the 1980s, when the band had its closest brush with success. “Metal on Metal” was played on the radio here, and it’s quite possible I watched some of the archival television coverage (some of it featuring news anchor John Roberts, then known as J.D. Roberts) when it wasn’t archival. But I was no metalhead. I was into punk, and then new wave, and the metal “hair” bands of the 80s just seemed embarrassingly uncool to me. In this film, that uncoolness has been turned into charm. But it’s been a long hard road for Anvil.
Director Sacha Gervasi actually met the band in London in 1982, and then decided to work as a roadie for them on a cross-Canada tour. He lost touch about 1985, and then, 20 years later, decided to look up his old friends on the internet. What he discovered amazed him. They hadn’t given up. In fact, they were still making records and playing bars, even if it was only to crowds of 100. Gervasi, meanwhile, had travelled far from his metal roots. After attending law school, he got involved in the film business, recently writing the script for the Tom Hanks film The Terminal. He knew immediately he wanted to make a film about the band, and his personal connection with Anvil makes the film a loving tribute.
Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner were two Jewish kids growing up in Toronto in the 70s. They bonded over a love for the music of Black Sabbath and Grand Funk, and were soon writing songs together. More than 30 years and several lineup changes later, they’re still making music together. The film is as much a portrait of a lifelong friendship as it is about the cruelty of the music business. Through all the ups and (mostly) downs, Lips and Robb are like brothers. Gervasi picks up the story around 2005 when guitarist Ivan’s new Italian girlfriend Tiziana offers to arrange a European tour for them. Her passion overcomes their reservations about her inexperience, with predictable results. Transportation problems abound, and the crowds are always smaller than anticipated. Local promotion doesn’t come through, and the band are rarely paid. Despite that, Lips remains upbeat, happy to be touring at all.
After their return to Toronto, Anvil are ready to record their next album. They decide to approach engineer Chris Tsangarides, who recorded them early in their career, to see if he’s interested in working with them again. To their surprise, he’s interested, and after borrowing money from friends and family, the band fly to England to record their 13th album, cleverly entitled “This is Thirteen.” Another round of conflict between Robb and Lips ensues, but all ends in tearful hugs and the album is finished. Lips buzzes that the band has never sounded as good. Despite that, they can’t get any record companies interested in releasing it, so they decide to go direct and sell it themselves.
Throughout it all, Robb and especially Lips come across as incredibly open-hearted and even sweet guys. One memorable scene has Lips, in an attempt to earn some money, working as a telemarketer. He doesn’t last very long before he confesses that he’s just too honest. His somewhat goofy face may be the reason that the band never achieved the success of bands like Metallica or Anthrax or Slayer, but he’s incapable of being anyone else. Now in their 50s, Robb and Lips still haven’t cut their thinning hair, and though they look a bit out of place among their brothers and sisters, their families (especially their long-suffering wives) have been incredibly patient, if not always supportive.
The film ends with a lovely grace note. After receiving a call from a concert promoter in Japan, Anvil are invited to open a metal festival in front of a potential audience of 20,000. Gervasi poignantly inserts footage from the Super Rock tour of Japan the band played in 1984, and I swear that the goofy grin on Lips’ face is even wider now than it was then. When the lights came up, I was sporting my own goofy grin, as well as a small lump in the throat.
If there was anything missing from the film, it might be the absence of two of the three members of the unholy trinity of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Despite a reference early on from Robb about having to throw away his drugs during a border crossing in Europe, we never see any of the partying for which bands in general, and metal bands in particular, were legendary. These guys can still rock out, clearly, but it would have been interesting to see if they still party like young guys.
Just as an aside, during Anvil’s brief heyday in the early 80s, I was into a rockabilly-punk band from Hamilton called Teenage Head. Their career has had a similar trajectory, with lots of missed chances at fame, and an enduring legacy as “also-rans” among bands with arguably much less talent. Though I was never a roadie for them, this film has me thinking of making “Teenage Head! The Story of Teenage Head.” Frankie and Legs, get in touch!
Here is the Q&A with director Sacha Gervasi and the band from after the screening:
Before (or instead) of publishing a list of films I want to see, I thought I’d take the brave step of posting a list of names of people I want to meet from the world of film blogging. Since I have press accreditation again, I was able to see the full list of accredited media, so I know the following people will be in Toronto. If you see your name, drop me an email or comment and let’s try to meet up. Your first Hot Docs drink is on me.
If I’ve left you out, and you’re in town and want to meet up, let me know. This is partially a reaction to my utter failure to connect with anyone from the film community at this year’s SXSW. Here’s hoping I’m a little more socially adventurous on my home turf. Even if I do have that day job to wake up early for.
Editor’s Note: The following review contains what some may consider a SPOILER. To avoid affecting the filmgoing experience for you, gentle reader, I’ve applied white text colouring to the spoiler section. If you want to read it, just click and drag your mouse over the blank area. For those reading the RSS feed, you’ll just have to avoid reading this entry before you’ve seen the film.
Young@Heart (2007, Director: Stephen Walker): It would be almost impossible to make a bad film about the Young@Heart Chorus, a group of senior citizens in Northampton, Massachusetts whose repertoire includes songs by The Ramones, The Clash, Coldplay and Sonic Youth. Stephen Walker’s film is a genuine crowd-pleaser, with scenes of great emotional intensity and some unforgettable characters, and was a great choice to close out this season of Doc Soup. When musical director Bob Cilman began working with the group in 1982, their repertoire was mostly vaudeville stuff, but over the years he’s added more and more contemporary music. Though choir members aren’t often familiar with the songs and in many cases, don’t even like them, by the time they’ve learned them, they end up bringing something unique to their interpretations. One of the clever touches of Walker’s film is the insertion of several “videos” shot for songs like the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” and the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive.”
Apart from the videos (shot at Cilman’s insistence because he said he never saw old people in music videos), the rest of the film follows a tried-and-true format, following the choir through several weeks of rehearsals before a new show. We get to see the process of learning new material, and it often goes hilariously wrong. Some of the choir members are a bit deaf, or need large-print versions of the lyric sheets. Others can’t figure out how to play compact discs. And some just don’t seem very musical at all. But as Walker’s camera follows them around, we get to know them, and we realize how much this creative outlet means to them.
One of Cilman’s initiatives for the new show is to bring back two members who’d recently had to stop performing due to health problems and have them sing a duet of the Coldplay song “Fix You.” But things take an unexpected (or perhaps only a half-expected) turn when one of them dies, and by the time Fred Knittle sits down on a chair holding his oxygen tank to sing it alone, the lump in my throat was growing. Though his voice is strong and the rendition beautiful, it was the off-kilter beat provided by the oxygen machine that made the song so heartbreaking. That and the lyrics:
And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can’t replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
Mortality is the one thing that none of us can “fix” and I’m glad the film reminded us of that. This is something that senior citizens face every day, as they watch their friends and loved ones pass on around them, and wonder when their time will come. Their courage and acceptance in the face of such tragedy, their determination to live every moment, and their simple joy in performing were inspiring and infectious.
If I have any complaints about the film, they have nothing to do with the story. But I did feel that Walker was a little too present in the film, from his intrusive narration to his insistence on talking off-camera to his on-camera subjects. I really enjoyed meeting these fascinating people and watching how the show is produced and rehearsed, but I didn’t enjoy hearing so much about Stephen Walker, though I’m sure he’s a nice chap.
Here is the Q&A with director Stephen Walker along with Bob Cilman and some of the choir members from after the screening:
Toronto’s own world-class documentary film festival, Hot Docs, has released its full 2008 schedule. This year’s festival takes place from April 17-27 and features more than 170 films from 36 countries. Reasonably-priced tickets and downright cheap passes are already on sale. In my opinion, this is the best film festival in the city. No celebrities or red carpets, just smart films about real things. I’m excited by a number of films and will be talking about them in the weeks to come, but if you’re able to be in Toronto for Hot Docs, don’t miss it!
(6/10)
(9/10)
(8/10)