"That thing you do"!
Great films where music is a central theme.
I'm a film lover for as long as I can remember. There's nothing like a film that combines my passion for music and film. I'm going to leave out concert films from this, as there are plenty of threads on that. Lets stick to other films - dramas or documentaries - that use music as a central theme, or have it as a key element in the narrative. Here are a few of my own favorites to get the ball rolling.
As it is in Heaven
The Bands Visit
Schultze Gets the Blues
Troubled Water (the Erik Poppe film)
Sweet and Lowdown
Bird
'Round Midnight
I'm Not Here
Documentaries:
Throw Down Your Heart
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
Lets Get Close (Bruce Weber)
Buena Vista Social Club
Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back
Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
So it's really could be split into two threads; Narative films and Documentaries. But lets try leaving it open to both, just no concert films. What are some of your favorites?
As it is in Heaven
The Bands Visit
Schultze Gets the Blues
Troubled Water (the Erik Poppe film)
Sweet and Lowdown
Bird
'Round Midnight
I'm Not Here
Documentaries:
Throw Down Your Heart
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
Lets Get Close (Bruce Weber)
Buena Vista Social Club
Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back
Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
So it's really could be split into two threads; Narative films and Documentaries. But lets try leaving it open to both, just no concert films. What are some of your favorites?
159 responses Add your response
"Dogfight"- set in the mid-sixties. Music is integral to the plot. One of my favorite movies. "Midnight in Paris" (Owen Wilson's character finds romance thanks to vinyl- not to mention a great soundtrack). "Taking Sides"- not a great movie; Furtwangler deserves better, but still worthwhile due to it's subject matter. Also a nod to "Almost Famous". I'm also glad "Umbrellas of Cherbourg" was mentioned. |
Walter - it's been way too long since I've seen Five Easy Pieces but I'll take your word and offer my apologies for that one. "Clyde", Richard? You makin' this up? I haven't heard of it and couldn't find what you are talkin' 'bout on IMDB. You're chuggin' down those Mickey's Big Mouth's a bit quickly. Shark Week will do that. Did you get the addresses for Erndog and Nebin yet. When you're done with them head on over to ChetAtkins place - oh, wait Cotton Club neutralizes his mention of Full Metal Jacket. I guess we'll hold off there. Though he did put some stress on the soundtrack...yeah, get the address and I'll mull that one over. NO SOUNDTRACKS!!!!!! I am not interested in great soundtracks here. Movies that are compelling enough for you to recommend that include music as part of the actual story content of the movie. I don't care about the soundtrack - it could suck, or it could have none at all. |
How about Clyde? I guess it wasn't the central theme but the scenes where he was making his electronic music in the living room were priceless. Yea Marco, I've been building footers all day and my Carharts are just soaked. Gonna crack open a 40 and kick back to some Nascar. Yup. Is it just my house or do your wives get all freaked to watch shark week on the Discovery channel? Must be something seriously phallic about those big ass fish. |
Nebin and Erndog, Richard is on his way to your homes with his impact driver and rotohammer. He won't be doing any home repair either. OK, now everyone repeat after me: This is NOT a soundtrack thread! There are numerous soundtracks thread out there and this is NOT one of them. Please, no more soundtracks. Music as actual story content. Unless James Spader is actually playing a drum kit in Storyville (or if you are referring to the Storyville that is about the first legal red light district in America), or Russel Crowe is conducting a symphony of Gladiators, those films are not what I'm after. OK, now I AM sounding like a broken record. What do I need to do to make it any more clear? |
My brother in all things musical, Richard! I knew where there was music, you'd come a callin'! How's the power tools and football working for you? Pop open a Pabst for me, my friend. Once - I really loved that film, but Afranta did mention it already. It bears repeating as it's wonderful. Great soundtrack to boot (now don't anyone latch onto that statement and start giving me soundtracks again or I'm going to have Richard come by with his impact driver). NO soundtracks please. Richard, I just know you're going to come up with something brilliant that I've missed though. Here's one more: The Lisbon Story (Wim Wenders beautiful quiet film - one of the few I actually own) |
Again, hoping not to become a broken record and wish I could explain it somewhat better, but I'm not interested in films with great soundtracks, or where the story happens to be driven along with music with a very specific theme like Pulp Fiction (that would NOT be what I'm after). It's not at all that the film has a great soundtrack, or a director that has amazing musical tastes...it's not about Hans Zimmer scores or the strong support of 70's music to create a period piece. None of that. You good people get an "F"....OK, you get a "E" for contributing and making an effort, but really it's not what I'm after. Music must have a place in the actual story of the film, that is beyond someone turning on the radio, or Jack Nicholson having McIntosh gear in As Good as it Gets. Maybe someone plays in a band, or there is an orchestra or an instrument that has a central roll (and, "...one time at band camp..." would not qualify here). And yes, I am looking for films you'd actually recommend that others see, not something mediocre. Greatness does not need to be the qualifying descriptor though. So based on my premise, Five Easy Pieces, Goodfellas and Fast Times at Ridgemont High are DQ'd and outta here. Music is not part of any of those stories (at least not that I remember). Almost Famous, absolutely has music as a central theme to the story. Brilliant! Here are just a few more to keep this on the right track: Naratives Good Morning Vietnam Topsy Turvy Flawless (this is a real sleeper, and a great movie in my book - Deniro and Phillip Seymore Hoffman) Documentaries Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037 OK, now don't make me get the steel ruler out, or start sending folks to the principal's office. Lets get this thread on track boys and girls! |
Hillary and Jackie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0150915/ Great moment early on, about the difference between good and great. Odd feature of the movie: including some actual facts that make it *less* believable. John |
Goodfellas Dazed and Confused The Big Chill Five Easy Pieces Almost Famous (or most any Cameron Crowe film, going all the way back to Fast Times at Ridgemont High) Note: I don't know if any of these except Five Easy Pieces and Goodfellas qualify as "great films," but the music is certainly central to them all. |
Ah, now great soundtracks are the subject for a whole other thread and that's not what I was getting at. Sorry if that wasn't clear. What I'm looking for are either narative films (dramas) where music is a central theme of the narative, or plays a central roll in the actual story itself. Or documentary films about music/musicmakers. So films like When Harry Met Sally, and the Vin Diesel film, might have a great soundtrack, but it is not what I'm asking for here because music does not have any substantial part of the story (actually I haven't seen the Vin Diesel film, but going on a hunch). Whereas a film like, The Commitments, is a story around the theme of music making, and your other great suggestion, Oh Brother Where Art Thou, has the central characters playing in a band, and where that genre of music has a big roll throughout that film. I think there's a "Great Soundtracks" thread somewhere in the archives where those suggestions would be appropriate. Again, sorry If my OP was not clear. |
