This week we take a look at director Ang Lee’s film Taking Woodstock (R). Demetri Martin stars as a small town man with big plans for his parents’ motel in 1969 upstate New York. When the opportunity to host the music festival Woodstock presents itself, he takes it. Emile Hirsch and Eugene Levy costar.
Ryan: Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock is an interesting take on a subject most people are familiar with. I give Lee credit (because it was risky) for putting the iconic concert as the backdrop for an intimate look at a coming-of-age story. At the onset Lee does a strong job in setting up the conflict of the main character not only within himself but in dealing with the drama of trying to pull off a concert as ambitious as Woodstock. Unfortunately Taking Woodstock meanders through its second hour and struggles at the end to generate a satisfying conclusion. It's not a bad film but it's certainly not a memorable film either.
Andy: The risk of basing a movie around Woodstock without actually showing any of the concert is a risk that ultimately doesn’t pay off. The film is entirely about Martin’s character and his struggles with his parents and his ambitions. The fact that the concert is an ancillary piece of the story is both awkward and partly responsible for the film’s lacking heart. Something is missing from this movie, and the fact that the concert itself was somewhat ignored has to be considered a factor in that.
Ryan: Again I admire, from a cinematic standpoint, how Lee put the actual concert on the back burner and focused on the struggles of the main character and his family. But with that said, a movie even with Woodstock in the background, still needs the music of the historical concert to be an important factor. The legacy of Woodstock extends far beyond the music but a film with Woodstock in its title needs to have the music as more than just an afterthought. It's almost like the filmmakers went too far in the other direction in stating that this isn't a typical Woodstock-inspired film. Consequently it doesn't work.
Andy: Taking Woodstock is somewhat entertaining, but it is also lacking in many areas. One of thos areas is the performance of the lead, Demetri Martin. I am a pretty big fan of Martin’s television show Important Things. I think it is a brand of comedy that is different from anything else on TV right now, and I was excited to see how he did on the big screen. Unfortunately, he left a lot to be desired. His characters is absolutely central to the success of the movie, and the performance does not have enough gravitas to really bring the audience in.
Ryan: There seems to be a tragic flaw among a great many of today's talented filmmakers. More-often- than-not a good or even great film suffers from a puzzling climax and/or resolution. Taking Woodstock is a prime example of this. The first act and a half is well established but the movie falters in reaching its narrative climax and conclusion. Furthering exacerbating that problem is how the movie stumbles into familiar sixties cliches and narrative sequences. The original premise of the film is not so unique by the end of the picture.
Andy: Ang Lee is a very accomplished director, but he has had misses in the past (2003’s Hulk, for example). This movie is a bit of a departure for Lee, but the exploration did not result in a very high quality movie. Taking Woodstock is not bad, but for the talent involved it seems poorly executed and at times even tedious. I would anticipate Lee bouncing back with something more rich and innovative for his next project.
Taking Woodstock was an interesting idea that turned into a mediocre movie. Final grade: C.
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