Direction: Edgar Wright
Country: UK / USA
This music documentary directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, 2004; Hot Fuzz, 2007; Baby Driver, 2017) about the odd, cartoonish and enigmatic group Sparks - composed of inseparable brothers Ron and Russell Mael - becomes overlong and unexciting as we are informed about the duo’s changes in style throughout the years (from proto-punk and glam-rock to danceable synth-pop and experimental dance-rock) and collaborations not only in music (Giorgio Moroder, The Go-Go’s Jane Wiedlin) but also in the movies (they wrote the script and compose the music for Leos Carax's musical Annette, and almost worked with Jacques Tati). The bizarre and kitsch glamour in their looks is also topic.
Employing too many interviewees in its lopsided structure - including music personalities such as Beck, Flea, Vince Clark, Thurston Moore, John Taylor and Nick Rhodes, as well as fans of the band - Wright affects the flow of the film, which stutters with repetition and monotonous episodes.
As the self-indulgence imposes, the film offers less and less. It’s difficult to imagine much of an audience for The Sparks Brothers; at least, some other than the cult-like admirers that idolize them.
