Director Ang Lee has broken ground once again.
With 2005's "Brokeback Mountain," Lee presented a decades-long tale of two lovelorn cowboys in a believable, compelling manner.
In "Taking Woodstock," out on DVD and Blu-ray Dec. 15, he chronicles a pivotal, joyous and emotional point in music and American history...
...and makes it really, really boring.
Inspired by the true story of Elliot Tiber, the film follows a perpetually bemused young artist (Demetri Martin) and his overbearing immigrant parents (Imelda Staunton and Henry Goodman), who run a failing hotel in upstate New York. Upon hearing of a displaced music and arts festival in desperate need of a venue, Elliot smells an opportunity -- and the tiny town of White Plains is changed forever.
However, what could have been a joyous, life-affirming piece plods through two hours and one minute of too-quiet dialogue, comic moments that never quite garner real laughter, dramatic beats that feel sadly lightweight, and very little music.
There are a few factors that could explain why "Taking Woodstock" doesn't quite work. First, the script has a loosey-goosey feel that may reflect the freewheeling Summer of Love -- but doesn't make for a cohesive film. Just over two hours isn't terribly long for a movie, but the slow pace reaps very few rewards.
The film's biggest roadblock, however, lies in its star. Though lauded as a quirky stand-up comic, Demetri Martin has very little acting experience and just can't carry an entire film. True, Elliot isn't a showy character, but there are effective ways to play soft-spoken intensity that electrify on screen -- Martin could have looked no further than Heath Ledger's smoldering performance in "Brokeback Mountain."
"Taking Woodstock" possessed two redeeming features that almost made the film worthwhile. The first was its bright and shiny cast of hundreds: The film's extras are full to bursting with groovy looks and puckish enthusiasm. Excellent background vignettes of bra-burning feminists, screeching thespians and moony lovers were often more fun to watch than the action going on in front of them.
Finally, Lee peppered his supporting cast with a host of stage and screen's finest. As various locals and concertgoers, Eugene Levy, Paul Dano, Kelli Garner, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Emile Hirsch all skillfully develop nuanced characters during their brief scenes.
Two actors in particular stand out: Liev Schreiber, as a dryly humorous transvestite who ingratiates himself with the suspicious townsfolk, and Jonathan Groff (best known for originating the lead role in Broadway's "Spring Awakening") as Woodstock event producer Michael Lang. The latter combines soft-spoken wisdom with confident charm: Indeed, Groff's graceful low-key demeanor may have translated very well into the lead role of Elliot Tiber.
DVD extras include three short deleted scenes and a jolly 20-minute documentary entitled "Peace, Love and Cinema," which includes an interview with the real Michael Lang and a look at director Lee's precise technique in mapping out scenes with the film's extras. Unfortunately, the spirit of collective artistry contained in this short feature -- as well as the Woodstock concert itself -- isn't apparent in the finished film.
Movie: 3 Yaps Extras: 4 Yaps