Enjoying and Producing Music

The less-than-capacity audience that braved the snow and wind on the first morning of Sundance 2010 to get to the 8:30 AM premier of Bran Nue Dae realized, about 10 minutes in, that it was definitely worth the trip, and that the empty seats were missed opportunities for the timid no-shows. About 10 songs and 20+ LOLs later as the credits ended, much of the audience stood to applaud a rough gem of a movie.

With implausible plot turns, loosely-shot dance sequences, and a cast featuring some sketchy newcomers and some wild scenes with Aussie vet Geoffrey Rush, this Aussie film shows Hollywood that rough edges can be beautiful. And the unlikely story developments are easily overlooked (and in fact celebrated) when you are enjoying the most unlikely thing of all, which is people suddenly singing and dancing. This over-the-top charmer of a musical road movie succeeds in putting you in a very specific place and making a character out of the beautifully-shot Australian landscape. And it features a collection of pleasant-enough songs that are showcased nicely by sincere vocal performances in a delightful throwback to the pre-AutoTune era.

A film about Aborigines set in 1969 cannot help reflecting the unfairness of that era, but it is to the filmmakers’ credit that the political backdrop never lets the film get bogged down and in fact makes it more exuberant. In that aspect, this movie has something in common with one of my favorite political songs and music videos of the MTV era, “Beds Are Burning“, which was big hit here in the USA by Australian alt-rockers Midnight Oil. After seeing this wonderful movie, I went to the Vevo we site and re-experienced that video with a new perspective. Be sure to see the video if you haven’t. And I highly recommend the movie: A