Do It Again

I can live with bad reviews. I can live with people hating me. Just as long as enough people “get it” as well. A wise soul in Rotterdam told me, regarding the audience poll, that you either want to be near the top or way at the bottom. Finishing in the middle means you inspired… nothing.

In that spirit, I present this fantastic debate (translated by a friend) in a Dutch publication. It is entitled “Recensenten op de vuist,” or “Clash of the reviewers.”

Watching a movie, is experiencing a movie. What is one of the greatest movie ever for one person, can be torture for someone else. And that’s a good thing, because what’s more fun then to keep on quarreling after the movie has ended in a pub? This year at the IFFR the opinions differed a lot. Even the people of Filmtotaal weren’t in agreement all the time. The biggest opinion pieces this year were about Lourdes, Un prophète and Do it Again. The last one got two stars from Arman, and 4 and a half star from Evert (not related btw -ed). For us this is more then enough reason to let them settle this in public.

– In “Do It Again,” we follow journalist Geoff Edgers, who finally wants to do something in his life where he can be proud of, and thus he starts a quest to get the band, the Kinks, back together again. This proves an almost insurmountable quest, especially since the two brothers Ray and Dave Davies don’t want to talk to each other. His efforts bring Geoff to great musical names like Sting, Peter Buck (REM), Robyn Hitchcock and many more. But the question remains if he ever will meet up with Ray…

– Evert says: “How many documentaries haven’t we seen about legendary bands from the 60s? Too many, that’s for sure. And everyone of them follows the same standard formula to the letter. Show all the usual suspects, all the familiar faces , and let them praise everyone (except for that one producer who screwed over the band in it’s heyday.) Combine this with archival footage and the fans eat it up like candy. “Do It Again is different. Here, too, we see big names and archical material, but in front of this all we see the personal story of Geoff, and his passionate quest. That makes “Do It Again” one of the most exciting festival movies. How many music docs can say this?”

– Arman Says: “There is a reason why the documentaries about legendary bands follow the same rules: It’s the right way. “Do It Again” is maybe a little different then other music docs, but that makes the movie worse, not better then the rest. Who cares that some unknown journalist from the Boston Globe, who’s suffering from a midlife-crisis, does something he can be proud off? If “Do It Again” would center less on the personal story of Edgers and more on the music and the band members of the Kinks it would have been a much better movie. Now you can just as well take a cd from the Kinks out of your closet and try that, that way you won’t be bothered by that troublesome Edgers.”

– Evert says: “That you don’t like Geoff personally is something I can’t change. But to say that the focus because of Geoff is less on the music is totally not true. Because the personal story and his love for music explodes all over the screen, it makes the music and the muscians more closer to the viewer. A good example of this is the fact that after each interview he makes music with the interviewee. Names like Sting and Peter Buck but also new people like Zooey get closer to the cinemagoer because of Geoff. Even more then you’d listen ten cds of those people.”

– Arman says: “He makes music with the interviewed people, true, but he does this to stroke his own ego. (Sarcastically) “Oh look how good I can play the guitar” he seems to say each time he does that. Also the scenes where he struggles with his family life don’t make any sense. The only scene that truly touches is not surprisingly the conversation with Dave Davies, the guy who was always in the shadow of his brothers. There Geoff finally disappears and lets the story do its work. “Do It Again” doesn’t know what it wants to be: A personal movie about a man who seeks a purpose in life, or a lookback on the de-making of the Kinks. Both aspects in any case it doesn’t show.”