Noah Thompson’s review published on Letterboxd:
LOVE ME 'TILL I'M DEAD
Finally got my dad to watch this. Despite having only seen this film all the way through once beforehand, although I've watched individual clips dozens of times and have listened to the album at least fifty times now, something I would find myself often saying about Stop Making Sense when I talk about it to other people goes along the lines of "On some days, I think this is the best movie ever made." I still am not, nor do I think I will ever be, a full believer in the concept of film being something that can be measured objectively. There are components that could be looked at that way, sure. Shot composition, editing, sound, things like that. That said, I do think film at its core comes down to feelings. Whether those are warm or somber feelings, you go to a feature wanting to experience something that would be hard, if not impossible, to get from your normal, everyday experiences. But, if you want to see film as something to be judged and critiqued, fine. Film then, broken down to the barest materials, is a marriage of sight and sound. Coupling these two elements to create as moving or engaging of a work as possible. So yes, if that is the case, then Stop Making Sense is potentially, even likely, the best film ever made. Director Jonathan Demme leads the camera movements with true intent. Multiple shots in this are unforgettable, and the particular shot of David Byrne leaning his microphone to one of the stage's many cameras is a candidate for best shot of all-time if you were to ask me. Yes, on that note, David Byrne. One of the best features has to include one of the best performances. Byrne is a force of nature, flailing around his body, doing laps around the stage, dancing with a lamp, wearing a big ass suit, and singing like an angel. It's cinematic nirvana, performance art that looks and sounds like pure bliss. The indescribably rare instance of a perfect stage show then also captured perfectly by cameras. If movies are meant to be transportation, if they can be time travel, if they get us thinking and moving, then you better believe that this is a masterwork of history. All the hyperbole I could give to this, but above anything else, it's just really worth a visit. And who doesn't love singing and dancing? Any questions?
10/10
