The story of how “The Sparks Brothers” came to be¹ seems impossibly simple. Director Edgar Wright’s fascination with the band spans decades. The titular brothers, Ron and Russell Mael, have been attempting to break into Hollywood for their entire career. That such a project could be started by one following the other on Twitter is ridiculous. And yet, here it is.
It is, for the most part, a standard music documentary. It covers the band’s history from start to finish. You have interviews with ousted band mates. Ron and Russell tell fun stories about touring. Famous people, especially other musicians, talk about how much they love the band. So on and so forth. It doesn’t reinvent the genre.
That being said, it’s very well executed. As usual for Wright, the soundtrack is excellent. Inspired choices like “David Watts” supplement Sparks’ own catalog. The visuals are also well-done and stylized. Wright selected multiple art styles for recreations past events, which he rotates through liberally. The visual storytelling is effective and compelling.
“The Sparks Brothers” is a well-executed and careful retelling of the band’s story. I highly recommend it to fans of the band, the director, or the genre.
1. https://twitter.com/edgarwright/status/1392857238201675780?s=20
It is, for the most part, a standard music documentary. It covers the band’s history from start to finish. You have interviews with ousted band mates. Ron and Russell tell fun stories about touring. Famous people, especially other musicians, talk about how much they love the band. So on and so forth. It doesn’t reinvent the genre.
That being said, it’s very well executed. As usual for Wright, the soundtrack is excellent. Inspired choices like “David Watts” supplement Sparks’ own catalog. The visuals are also well-done and stylized. Wright selected multiple art styles for recreations past events, which he rotates through liberally. The visual storytelling is effective and compelling.
“The Sparks Brothers” is a well-executed and careful retelling of the band’s story. I highly recommend it to fans of the band, the director, or the genre.
1. https://twitter.com/edgarwright/status/1392857238201675780?s=20
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