![]() ![]() Time moves briskly within American Utopia, which never feels repetitive or sluggish thanks to Lee’s communication of Byrne’s vision. Lee enlists cinematographer Ellen Kuras (who also shot the music docs Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese and Neil Young: Heart of Gold, as well as Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman’s masterpiece, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and film editor Adam Gough (who also worked with Lee on Da 5 Bloods), who satisfyingly mix up shot compositions and transitions to create an all-enveloping feel. Every band member gets their own close-ups and their own stand-out moments, and you’ll have a sense of each individual’s personality very quickly. Lee does two things excellently: He relies on numerous overhead shots to show us the artfulness of the choreography and lighting design and to help us understand the layout of the stage and how Byrne and his team of 11 vocalists and musicians move around within it, and he understands that while Byrne is obviously the star here, he chose his stagemates for a reason. So this filmed version is basically your only chance to see American Utopia until next fall, and to Lee’s credit, it is an immersive concert film. ![]() ![]() Remember that Britney Spears song about how we should all “Keep on dancin’ till the world ends”? That’s sort of the vibe of American Utopia, which encourages a perspective on life that finds meaning in broad empathy and shared happiness.īyrne adapted American Utopia for a Broadway show at Hudson Theatre, which ran from October 2019 through February 2020 it was supposed to return last month, but is now delayed until September 2021 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Album opener “I Dance Like This” is a mixture of proud and apologetic (“I dance like this/Because it feels so damn good/If I could dance better/Well, you know that I would”) “Every Day Is a Miracle” considers life’s contrasts (“Every day is a miracle/Every day is an unpaid bill”) and the album’s first single, “Everybody’s Coming to My House,” doesn’t shy away from the inevitability of death, but imagines various ways for us to pass the time (“We’re only tourists in this life/Only tourists but the view is nice”). Released in March 2018, American Utopia was Byrne’s first solo album in 14 years, and its songs reflect a desire to find, and embrace, everyday pleasures. I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed American Utopia, and how fully I got swept up in its mixture of bouncy, increasingly experimental performances and Byrne’s own sincerity. On the other hand, American Utopia is an infectiously energetic project from Byrne, with its sense of vibrancy captured effectively by Lee’s crisp direction. On the one hand, my extremely cynical self is exhausted by even the idea of so much exultation. ![]() Byrne, the former frontman of the new wave trailblazers the Talking Heads, has been very intentional in the past couple of years about his desire to spread cheer, find joy, and emphasize positivity in our currently nightmarish reality. “Everybody’s Coming to My House,” David Byrneĭavid Byrne and Spike Lee invite you into the former’s mind in the concert film David Byrne’s American Utopia, and it’s a delightful place to spend a couple of hours. ![]()
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