I first picked up the CD "Buena Vista Social Club" on a whim two years ago, and I was stunned. I could not believe such beautiful music existed. I told everyone I knew about it, and even though not all of them enjoyed it as I did, at least they experienced it for themselves.
Flash forward two years. I am sitting in the local art-house theatre, waiting for the new movie by Wim Wenders, also called "Buena Vista Social Club," to start. My heart is racing; as the lights go down, my anticipation grows. And I am once again stunned. Not only is the music wonderful, but the film is amazing on every level.
Every shot, every scene, every word spoken and every note played adds to the greater whole of this film. Wim Wenders, Ry Cooder, and the entire Buena Vista Social Club should be congratulated on a fine accomplishment.
The interviews with the members of the band (especially with Ibrahim Ferrer, a true delight) are magnificently filmed, and each player's story is a treasure. When the recording of Ferrer's album is filmed, one can see the determination, effort, and love for the music on the faces of every musician. That love shines through, onto the screen, and the audience is bathed in its splendor.
The film is most at home in Cuba, with its ancient cars and tumbledown streets. Wenders knows better to comment on the state of the Cuban people's well-being; simply filming the surroundings is comment enough.
The most amazing moments in the film, however, are when the musicians are free to roam around New York, near the film's end. Their insights into American (and North American) culture are humorous and quite touching. Ferrer's evening walk down the streets of New York is simply wonderful; when he stops on the street to take a picture, the audience can feel his excitement.
A wonderful film. Not only one of the best documentaries I have seen in a long time, probably the best film of the year to date. 10/10.
Flash forward two years. I am sitting in the local art-house theatre, waiting for the new movie by Wim Wenders, also called "Buena Vista Social Club," to start. My heart is racing; as the lights go down, my anticipation grows. And I am once again stunned. Not only is the music wonderful, but the film is amazing on every level.
Every shot, every scene, every word spoken and every note played adds to the greater whole of this film. Wim Wenders, Ry Cooder, and the entire Buena Vista Social Club should be congratulated on a fine accomplishment.
The interviews with the members of the band (especially with Ibrahim Ferrer, a true delight) are magnificently filmed, and each player's story is a treasure. When the recording of Ferrer's album is filmed, one can see the determination, effort, and love for the music on the faces of every musician. That love shines through, onto the screen, and the audience is bathed in its splendor.
The film is most at home in Cuba, with its ancient cars and tumbledown streets. Wenders knows better to comment on the state of the Cuban people's well-being; simply filming the surroundings is comment enough.
The most amazing moments in the film, however, are when the musicians are free to roam around New York, near the film's end. Their insights into American (and North American) culture are humorous and quite touching. Ferrer's evening walk down the streets of New York is simply wonderful; when he stops on the street to take a picture, the audience can feel his excitement.
A wonderful film. Not only one of the best documentaries I have seen in a long time, probably the best film of the year to date. 10/10.