Direction: Spike Jonze
Country: USA
This is an atypical documentary about the hardcore NYC band Beastie Boys - made famous for merging punk rock and hip-hop in an explosive way - directed by Spike Jonze. The latter's extensive filmography has been filled with inventive fictional accounts such as Being John Malkovich (1999), Adaptation (2002) and Her (2013), as well as short music videos for Bjork, Sonic Youth, R.E.M., and many other artists coming from all kinds of genres.
In front of an audience, with a huge screen behind them displaying archive footage, photographs and music clips, Michael Diamond (a.k.a. Mike D) and Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock) share the stage of the King’s Theatre in Brooklyn to tell their story and how they became obsessed with rap after hearing Run DMC.
The irreverence and insolence of the trio, both found in concert and in real life, are acknowledged by these, now mature, rock stars, who admit that their biggest goal was always to make each other laugh. They talk about their influences, the momentary tiredness of touring, the constant necessity of change, triumphs and disappointments in the music business, and the painful loss of the third Beastie Boy, Adam Yauch (MCA), in 2012 to cancer.
Informative but feeling somewhat ‘naked’ in its step-by-step narrative, the film has its most interesting moments when the personalities of the members are explored through a recaptured past immersed in controversy and attitude. The musical moments should be more abundant, and it’s easy to guess that the film might become insipid if you’re not a fan of the band. Otherwise, expect a fun, nostalgic ride to the idiosyncratic world of the Beasties. No sabotage allowed.
