Movie List 2012: 2.) Shut Up And Play The Hits

Shut Up And Play The Hits

I'm already giving up on the new format.  For now anyway.  Just wasn't feeling it.

Ok so, here we have my second Sundance film, Shut Up And Play The Hits, the documentary covering LCD Soundsystem's last performance.  They key point here is that it was a documentary first, concert film second... though.. that said, it was a blend of both.  Typically, these types of films are right up my alley.  I love music.  I love live performances.  I love getting the behind-the-scenes stories straight from the mouths of the horses who lived them. I absolutely devour films like Rattle and Hum (U2's journey to the heart of America) and Last Play at Shea (Billy Joel closes Shea Stadium with a big ol' bang).  This one, however, was different.  I'm a huge U2 fan, and have grown to like Billy Joel quite a bit.  But here?  LCD Soundsystem?  I have to admit, I don't believe that prior to seeing the film, I had heard any of their songs.  I knew nothing of their culture or back story.  Simply put, I'm not an LCD Soundsystem fan.  Doesn't mean I disliked them, I just never ran across their music.  In a way though, I thought this might be to my advantage.  Rattle and Hum was a no-lose situation for me.  I was going to love it.  My unfamiliarity with this band, though, should allow me a more objective view of the film as a whole then, right?  Well, maybe.  But it still probably would have been a bit easier to follow if I had had some idea of what I was in for.

But then, I'm not so sure that even fans knew what to expect here.  From what I was to glean during our hour-long wait in line, this farewell concert at Madison Square Garden was the definition of EPIC.  It lasted something like four hours and was supposedly one hell of a party.  Fans looking solely to bask in that epic glow, though, will come away disappointed.  As far as the documentary angle goes with  the movie, it's more of a portrait of lead singer (and evident guiding force for the band), James Murphy.  The film bounces around from the end of the concert, to the day after the concert (the first day of Murphy's "retirement") to the week before the concert (where he's interviewed by pop culture maven, Chuck Klosterman... I suppose as a way of teasing out some of the more choice sound bites then incorporated into the film), and, of course, the concert itself.  I believe the point of the movie is to explore why Murphy decided it was time for LCDSS to call it quits- particularly at a time when it was evident that they were on the top of their game- and what it meant to him that he did break up the band... and end the party.  I can't say that Klosterman (or the directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern) ever get to a definitive answer to any of these questions... and perhaps that is the definitive answer in and of itself.  Maybe Murphy just doesn't know why now was the time to stop... but it just felt right... and yet... sad.  To be clear, Murphy does attempt to give something approaching concrete answers.. among them- rather curiously- that he doesn't want to become too famous... odd considering- as my lovely girlfriend Courtney pointed out- that he allowed this film to be made.  Without the doc, I'm not so sure that I would have recognized Murphy walking his French bulldog in Manhattan.  With the amount of face time he racks up here, I'm pretty sure I could pick him out of a crowd.  The problem is that there seems to be something bubbling just below the surface that is guiding his decision just as much as any of the reasons he flatly gives.  And while Murphy starts down the road to delivering these insights, he never quite gets there.  So, I suppose it's up to the viewer to parse through his statements, take in his emotional farewell concert, and make up his or her own mind as to what it is that made Murphy kill the party that in many ways was just getting started.  Frustrating to a degree, I suppose... interesting as well.  (My thought?  To put it simply -and perhaps overly so- I think he had a fear of becoming irrelevant... of overstaying his shelf-life.  He seemed very, very in touch with the idea that- as sad as it is- all good things must come to end... and he hoped to bring it to an end while it was still good.  Seems to simple, and there are probably elements of all his other suggestions at play here as well, but I think this idea of getting out while the going is good may have been at the core...maybe).

None of all that answers whether the film- in and of itself- was any good.  I will say this...even given my neophyte status in terms of being an LCD Soundsystem fan... and really now I guess that ship's sailed... I did find it interesting and engaging.  But maybe not for the reasons I had initially thought it would be worth seeing. I was expecting tremendous concert footage with interspersed with shots designed to give insight into who these guys were and why it all ended.  The thing was, the concert footage- while pretty cool- just didn't have the engrossing pull I thought it would.  The one thing I knew about LCD Soundsystem is that they were one of the best party bands around.  Whenever they played, a huge party broke out.  And so it was here.  Or rather there.  On screen.  It just didn't resonate as well with the audience.  I saw Last Play at Shea on Showtime.  In my living room.  All by myself.  And I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't pulled to the edge of my seat, heart racing, and completely engaged with Billy Joel's concert- you know, when they played the concert footage.  Here, I was- in all likelihood- in a theater that was packed with LCDSS fans (though, I'm sure there were some curious festival-goers just there to see a Sundance movie) and rather than feeling like I was at the party, it felt more like it was.  I was in amongst a throng of people simply viewing a party... it was as though the party, the concert was taking place in a snow globe.  A few people bopped about in their seats, but people mostly just sat there and watched the concert drift by.  It's kind of a shame.  It was evident from the delirious (and probably ecstasy-fueled) Madison Square Garden crowd, that this was, indeed, one hell of a party.  I'm not sure I can readily explain why the concert on the screen felt so insulated- there were a bunch of flashing lights... so much so that they had to give the "strobe light effect" warning before the show... and the music sounded awesome- and yet I just didn't feel as though I was a part of it all.  It was just odd somehow.

The film made up for the lack of engaging concert film (some of this lacking may have been due tosome of the camera angles used to shoot the band doing their thing on stage... and the decision to mute the ambient crowd noise to a point where it seemed as though they weren't even in the same room as the band) by providing some really interesting insights and a detailed look at who James Murphy is.  Lovelace and Southern may not be able to answer the one questions they feel they need to have answered, but that doesn't mean that they don't get a lot of cool footage trying.  Murphy just is an interesting guy- and the give and take between Klosterman and Murphy- while admittedly bordering on pretentious (by the guys themselves!)- was awesome to listen to.  (Though I have to say I can't imagine I'd be able to handle a Klosterman interview myself... it was oddly...intense... for two seemingly laid back dudes.)

I think the most intriguing thing about the film was the profound sadness that permeated everything.  Murphy was clearly sad that this part of his life was coming to a close... but... he was the one who decided to walk away.  I would have expected more relief to shine through.  But no, he was sad... which made everything bittersweet.  This was never more striking than during the concert footage.  There was Murphy, in one moment giving in to spurts of fun and happiness... and in another trying hard- a midst an aura of bittersweetness- to drink in the moment.  It was as though he knew this was the right decision- to walk away from it all- but he didn't expect it to go like it did.  Shit, he seemed to think, I didn't think it would hurt this much.  It was just interesting to watch that unfold.  (On the other hand, there were a few sequences that were blatantly staged as a way to hammer this sadness angle home.  These were frustrating and gratuitous moments in the film.)

In the end, I think the fact that the filmmakers chose not to pursue the insights of Murphy's band mates, might have been a mistake.  We can see how torn Murphy was.  I'd have loved to know how his fellow band members felt about him.. and his decision to break them up.  I think these perspectives could have added some more intrigue to the film.

At the end of the day, though, this was clearly Murphy's show.  It's evident that he was the center of the LCD Soundsystem universe.  His band revolved around him.  Fans loved the hell out of him.  Fellow musicians looked up to him.  He was the star of the show.  Whether he wanted it or not.  And you know what?  I'm generally ok with this.  So even while it might frustrate some people that the question at the heart of this exploration was never fully answered... or rather overtly answered, I do think that what does bubble to the surface makes for some really interesting viewing.

Grade: A