Most of us aren't going to be familiar with Sparks. Some may have never heard of them. Others may have some recollections of one of their songs. They are one of those institutions that has flown just under the radar for 50 years. Film maker Edger Wright has made a love letter to them celebrating all that makes them who they are to their fans.
The Sparks Brothers presents Sparks as an enigma, celebrating their uniqueness but then, most incredibly, explores just how normal and human they are. The movie doesn't attempt to create and sustain any arms-length inaccessibility. Instead it allows Ron and Russell Mael to be tremendously relatable. Their talent is celebrated for sure, but so is their boy-next-doorness which is perhaps the most radical thing you can do in a film about a band like Sparks.
The film is a love letter. The music of the band is showcased in such a way that you can't help but become a fan, even if you've never hummed along to them before. You'll want to run out and buy their greatest hits after seeing the film. From live performances to their undeniably incredible music videos the film glories in Sparks music.
Wright is one of my favourite film makers, always up for showing me some new way to telling stories on the screen and The Sparks Brothers is no different. His effort here is clearly as a fan and that love for the band, and all they've inspired, including his own work, shows through beautifully. The Sparks Brothers is a gorgeous film in its own right.
And you'll be singing My Baby's Taking Me Home all the way home from the cinema...
The Sparks Brothers
Starring: Sparks, Weird Al Yankovic, Flea, Beck, Patton Oswalt, Mike Myers, Neil Gaiman, Bjork, Andy Bell
Director: Edger Wright
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