One of the very last films to premiere at Sundance this year was “ Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir,” a US Documentary Premieres title from the late director James Redford. That becomes one of Wright’s best touches with this documentary, as he convinces you that don’t want to just hear a handful songs, but that you want to go back and trace the band album by album. “The Sparks Brothers” is so entertaining that you almost-almost-forget the movie’s ambitious length, because it's not like you get tired of learning about the next Sparks song or creative movement (the movie struggles to wrap itself up, though). Even midway through, you feel like you "get" the band, and you want them to succeed as someone recounts their expansive history. It becomes a comforting way to trace the falls and highs of this band, anticipating developments that show them breaking through. Rather this is a focused, historical background on the battle for their creativity with records that proved how they could evolve while staying true to themselves they clashed with record executives, had a hot-and-cold presence on the pop charts, and have been cast as perpetual underdogs as a result. It should be noted that Wright keeps the personal live of brothers Russell and Ron-who are not British, despite everyone thinking so-relatively secret. Many of them look up to the group for their integrity, and their ingenuity. Wright credits himself as "Fanboy" when he speaks on camera, but everyone interviewed here, including Beck, Mike Myers, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Todd Rundgren and more, has an infectious enthusiasm. Given the band's own sense of humor, which the movie includes you in on by showing Russell and Ron interviewed with such lack of self-seriousness, the kooky, lively approach is fitting. But Wright counters that with clear energy and enthusiasm from the jump, showing the chronology of this group from one hooky song to the next, presented with cleverness, lots of quick cuts, and an unpredictable style-you never know if the next passage is going to have claymation or stick figures for a reenactment, or which celebrity is going to pop in with a meaningful reflection on what the band symbolizes. There are zillions of documentaries out there about musical artists who never got the recognition they deserved, and while those films can be reliable for recommendations, they’re not always the brightest harbors for filmmaking. From a technical standpoint, Wright has made a more whiz-bang documentary when it comes to this ilk.
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