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73 of 77 found the following review helpful:
 Exquisite character-driven comedy, just satirical enough.May 21, 2003
By Miles D. Moore
Christopher Guest is the anti-Adam Sandler. Guest writes and directs comedies for people with reasonable attention spans, who can appreciate subtly wacky jokes and skilled performances by an ensemble of real comic actors. While he's always in his movies, he's always one of the ensemble, never in a "Look At Me, I'm a Star!" mode. "A Mighty Wind," which he directed and co-wrote with Eugene Levy, is a worthy addition to Guest's filmography--an affectionately goofy sendup of '60s folk music, set against the backdrop of a memorial concert for a folk music promoter. Guest is a master of the ever-so-slightly-askew, presenting his eccentric characters in talking-head interviews in which they matter-of-factly reveal themselves to be totally bonkers. There are so many delightful performances here that it's hard to mention them all, but one should note Guest himself, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer--aka Spinal Tap--as a semi-successful folk trio, the Folksmen; Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara, two of the brightest lights of SCTV, as the star-crossed duo Mitch and Mickey; and such underrated masters of comic acting as Fred Willard and Paul Dooley. One of the best things about this movie is that all of the actors are professional-class singers, and write songs that sound absolutely authentic until you listen closely to the words...Anyway, if you have anything like a well-developed sense of humor, you should find "A Mighty Wind" a source of constant chuckles and frequent belly laughs.
34 of 35 found the following review helpful:
Guest just keeps on going, and going, and going....Jan 20, 2004
By L. Quido
"quidrock"
Christopher Guest first came to prominence in 1984, as an assistant and star in Rob Reiner's hilarious "This is Spinal Tap". Guest learned at the hands of the master, and the last 20 years of his career have been spent on mockumentary efforts ("Waiting for Guffman", "Best in Show", and, in 2002, "A Mighty Wind", where he decided to satirize the 60's folk music movement, something he and his fellow Spinal-Tappers had once done as a skit on Saturday Night Live). There are hallmarks in Guest's work. He utilizes a co-writer, the newly popular Eugene Levy (the best part of Steve Martin's recent "Bringing Down the House"), he has a regular cast of character actors that ad-lib their way through zany and satirical situations in all three films, and he conquers the art form of teasing fans and popular culture icons with gentle spoofing, double entendres, hidden meanings, and really great filmmaking. Although I enjoyed the film in the theater, it really came into its own when I was able to watch the DVD where I could marvel at the details and depths of Guest and Levy's imagination, and the brilliance of their comedy. It's strewn throughout the film, but a lot is captured and hightlighed in the DVD's special features. The premise of the film is simple: Irving Steinbloom, aged icon of the 50's and 60's folk music scene, has died in New York. His son, who followed him in managing folk music acts, Jonathon (Bob Balaban)endeavors to create a "PBN" concert in his dad's memory, bringing together three of dad's oldest and most famous acts. We get to see the faded stars in their lives today, deciding to do the show, then practicing, traveling to the Big Apple and enduring some mild hoopla and memories. Finally, we see the big event. It was easy to pick out the most outstanding performance of the film, it belonged to co-writer Levy (as Mitch), who completely convinces you, iron gray wig and all, that he is an unhinged, deer-in-the-headlights folk icon, with much of his early musical promise deadened by the cornucopia of meds he's taken over the last three decades, to try to capture some mental stability. To fully appreciate his performance, and the droll wit that drives Levy, see his ad-lib in the Special Features press conference, where Mitch does a completely credible and incredible speech, comparing Rap music to folk music. You gotta see it to believe it! Strolling through the DVD also brought out the idiosyncrasies in the film and let me marvel at the comedic turns of the delightful Jennifer Coolidge (as Amber Cole, eastern European escapee and PR agent) and John Michael Higgins (as Terry Bohner. Leader of the "New Main Street Singers"). Both were completely over the top in "Best of Show", and even more laughable here. Both are amazing scene stealers, but you have to think back over the scene to realize it. In the Special Features, you're really crushed to find deleted scenes that should have survived the film's editing (particularly Coolidge in a deadpan "piccolo" joke), memorable songs ("The Good Book", by the New Main Street Singers, is hilarious) and the unmatched wry and acerbic humor of commentators Guest and Levy. Guest, with amazing attention to detail, even filmed the concert portion of "A Mighty Wind" with TV cameras to be able to recreate the concert as it might have appeared on PBS or public access. "AMW" is not for everyone. Those who won't want to probe for the humor or the double entendre or can't reminisce about the golden age and the innocence of folk music will probably think it dull, dull, dull. I've rated it four stars, because it pales in comparison to Guffman and Best in Show, but I must say, I really enjoyed the film. Guest is a genius at understated, satirical comedy and at making gentle, loving jibes at pop culture stereotypes. Although "AMW" may be the lesser of his three films, it still proves that he is truly the king of film comedy. Can't wait for his next one!
28 of 29 found the following review helpful:
Mighty entertainingApr 17, 2003
By Charlotte Vale-Allen
Let's hear it for Christopher Guest! This man just goes from strength to strength. A Mighty Wind is the flip side of This is Spinal Tap--a gentle mockumentary about the folk era. With a cast that goes for days and great performances too numerous to document individually, the applause has to go to Eugene Levy (with a Thorazine-like brain effect) who is genuinely touching with his fractured mental synapses as Mitch, and to Catherine O'Hara who is utterly believable and affecting as the Mickey half of Mitch & Mickey. Bob Balaban as the organizer of the folk event is humorless sincerity personified. Ed Begley plays a Swedish-born PBS-type producer who breaks hilariously into Yiddishisms; Jennifer Coolidge is howlingly funny as the brain-sharing publicist; Fred Willard is grotesquely funny as the sleazeball music producer whose every idea is gross and/or stupid. Part of what makes this movie work so well is the terrific musical production values. The original songs are so close to the big folk hits of the 60s that they're actually quite catchy in their kitschy fashion. In true documentary fashion, there are lots of talking heads as the show is put together over a period of two weeks. What is emblematic of all Guest films is the gentle way in which he pokes fun. For those of us who lived through the era when "Blowin' In the Wind" and guitar-accompanied anti-war anthems were very much a part of the social fabric, this movie smiles at the naivety of the time without pulling too hard at the loose strings so that the fabric unravels. It's a good-natured spoof with some hilarious moments. It's fun and funny and even quite sweet.
Highly recommended.
13 of 13 found the following review helpful:
Entertaining, yes, but also....Oct 06, 2003
By Robert Morris
When discussing three of the films in which Christopher Guest has been centrally involved thus far (i.e. Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind), it would be inaccurate to suggest that they follow the same formula. Rather, Guest is guided by an equation which consists of the following: an ensemble company of immensely talented actors, hilarious satirical material presented in a "mockumentary" style, and a multi-dimensional plot which concludes with a Grand Event. He directed the three films and plays a central role in them, as does Eugene Levy with whom Guest also co-authored the screenplay for each. Best in Show remains my personal favorite but A Mighty Wind is nonetheless immensely entertaining even as it (oh so subtly) suggests some serious issues along the way. Briefly, here is the situation. Jonathan Steinbloom (Bob Balaban) is the son of a legendary producer of folk concerts in the 1950s and 1960s. In loving and respectful memory of his father, Steinbloom decides to produce a reunion concert in New York City's Town Hall which would bring together again Mitch & Mickey (Levy and Catherine O'Hara), The Folkmen (Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer) and the eight members of The New Main Street Singers. Once married, Mitch Cohen and Mickey Devlin are now divorced; when the film begins, she is now married to Leonard Crabbe (Jim Piddock). All of the performers eventually agree to appear and begin to prepare somewhat apprehensively for the concert. Of course, there are the inevitable tensions and pressures as they do so, exacerbated by the emotional baggage which several (notably Mitch & Mickey) have been dragging along in their lives for so many years. The concert finally begins and then.... Others have their own reasons for admiring this film so much. Here are three of mine. First, the most effective "mockumentaries" have a high level of verisimilitude. In this instance, if you had no idea that it is the score from A Mighty Wind, and were already familiar with various folk music groups, you would believe that selections such as "Old Joe's Place" and "Never Did No Wanderin'" are authentic. Guest and his associates took great care to ensure that the score is at least comparable with classics once performed by, for example, Dick & Dee Dee ("The Mountain's High," "Tell Me," "Young And In Love," "Love Is A Once In A Lifetime Thing," and "Where Did The Good Times Go." Now consider the titles of the songs which Mitch & Mickey sing in A Mighty Wind: "When You're Next To Me," "One More Time," "The Ballad Of Bobby And June," and "A Kiss At The End Of The Rainbow." The Folkmen and The New Main Street Singers also have their historical counterparts which other reviewers have duly noted. The second reason is that all of the acting is first-rate. Fred Willard (as talent agent Mike LaFontaine) and Jennifer Coolidge (as PR specialist Amber Cole) are especially noteworthy. It is quite an achievement to cast so many from Best in Show in roles in this film which are wholly dissimilar. It is an even greater achievement for the actors to bring it off. To name but two, Jane Lynch (Laurie Bohner) and John Michael Higgins (Terry Bohner). Finally, probably because I attended so many concerts 35-40 years ago and collected an even greater number of the folk music albums, A Mighty Wind evokes an abundance of pleasant memories for me, memories of an age and of a society which now seem so far away. In my opinion, this is a much more serious film than are Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show. With all due respect to the effectiveness of the comic elements, there is poignance in the awkwardness between Mitch & Mickey even as they seem to reach some degree of closure when singing "A Kiss At The End Of The Rainbow." It is no fault of Guest, his cast, and crew that many such as I who enjoy seeing this film will later reflect on what awaited us at the end of our own "rainbow."
19 of 22 found the following review helpful:
A Mighty Wonderful Film!!!May 12, 2003
By Mark Twain
"Sam"
When it comes to mockumentary parodies, no one does it better than Christopher Guest. With A Mighty Wind, Guest adds a fourth satire to his resume. The topic this time around is folk music - a genre that reached its zenith of popularity during the late '60s. Like Western movies, however, it has become something of a relic. Occasionally, some aging star will come out with a new album, but, for the most part, folk music went out of vogue long before vinyl ceased to be the medium of choice for music-lovers. Of course, there's still a limited audience for this sort of music, but Guest's movie is no more aimed at them than Best in Show is targeted at dog show participants. The comedy here is pretty universal. You don't have to like folk music to appreciate A Mighty Wind, and that's what makes it so special. The film chronicles a reunion concert featuring three once-popular folk music bands. Organized as a tribute to recently deceased music producer Irving Steinbloom by his son (Bob Balaban), the concert is headlined by three of acts from the '60s: The Folksmen, a trio (Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer) whose lone hit is more than thirty years old; The New Main Street Singers, a "neuftette" of nine whose image is pure Pat Boone even though one of their members (Jane Lynch) is an ex-porn star; and Mitch & Mickey (Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara), fondly remembered but no longer America's sweethearts. The concert is to occur live at New York's Town Hall and be broadcast nationwide on Public Broadcasting. In typical Guest fashion, not everything goes smoothly. For the most part, the comedy in A Mighty Wind is more amusing than hilarious. The movie provokes a lot of smiles and chuckles, but few belly laughs. Guest's camera captures everything with unblinking and unflinching honesty. As was true of his previous films, that's a key to A Mighty Wind's success. The folk music, like the heavy metal songs in This Is Spinal Tap, are both satirical and faithful to their inspiration. The lyrics poke gentle fun at the genre, but are not wildly over-the-top. Several are performed in whole or in part during the film's final 30 minutes, and they stand up well under the microscope. The majority of the major players in A Mighty Wind are Guest regulars - those who have appeared in one or more of his previous films. As the Folksmen, Spinal Tap companions Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer reunite. Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy, who have worked together since SCTV, are back for their third outing with the director. Bob Balaban is once again the "straight man," and Fred Willard is the most off-the-wall of the performers. And, despite not having much to do, Parker Posey has signed on again (she plays one of the New Main Street Singers). Those with an appreciation of Guest's previous work - This Is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, and Best in Show - will enjoy A Mighty Wind. The movie probably isn't for those who define a comedy as a series of fart jokes and gross-out gags. A Mighty Wind is another affectionate parody - one that delights in gently poking fun at its subject rather than tearing it to pieces - with plenty of amusing moments and one-liners that vary from lily white to off-color. And, despite not being a laugh-a-minute riot, it's nevertheless one of the most consistent comedies to reach theaters thus far this year. It's a terric film with an inspired cast giving terrific peformances, and plenty of crowd-pleasing moments. Jennifer Coolidge, in her almost cameo role, is exceptional, and Eugene Levy is absolutely brilliant. Kudos to the rest of the cast for their superb fun and wacky performances. "A Mighty Wind" is a mighty must for those who appreciate great comedy.
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