I discovered Sia 10 years ago in 2016. It was through her music that was playing over the end credits of the movie The Neon Demon. At that time, they had filmed a pseudo-concert film titled Nostalgic For The Present, and 10 years later, they finally released that film. (Also fittingly, 10 years later we're seeing director Nicolas Winding Refn's first film since The Neon Demon releasing the same week as Sia's new film.) I don't know the reasons for the long delay between filming and release, but it does seem to give a new meaning to the movie's title, as watching this movie certainly left me with a nostalgic feeling for the time period in which it was filmed.
Not your traditional concert film, Nostalgic For The Present was filmed on a closed set (though features live crowd noise), where they recreated Sia's live show from her tour during that period. Sia herself stands off to the side singing her songs, as the lit up square stage is occupied by various dancers and actors who bring her music to life with interpretive dance sequences and an array of intricate costuming, prop-work, and lighting tricks. For sure, this was unlike any concert film I've seen before, and really it was unlike any other film I've seen before period at that. Truly, this was a unique movie-going experience.
I was surprised by some of the actors who appeared, which included Paul Dano, Tig Notaro, and Kristen Wiig, among others. And even more, I found myself surprised by a number of the songs that were presented over the course of the film's set as well. Sia's version of Diamonds was the first big surprise of the evening, and was brought to life beautifully. And she even busted out a couple of older tracks that I wasn't expecting to see at all, but which made for a pleasant treat as well. I didn't even recognize it at first when Titanium started to play, but as soon as she sang her first notes, it hit me like a wall, and I was left floored. Of course her big hits are all here, and all the while I really did feel like I was taking a trip back in time to when I would often listen to her music and lose myself while I would work at my creative writing, falling further and further down the endless well that was her library of songs.
There's an attempt at an ongoing story with recurring characters, and there were brief interludes between songs that would continue to further the story, but I honestly couldn't tell you what the story actually was, if I'm being honest. Not that I think it matters much, as the music and its emotional core is what's important here. I'm just left impressed by the attempt all the same, and found myself incredibly inspired by the creativity that was consistently on display throughout. I was left feeling that I would love to film a movie like this myself someday.
I actually had to drive two hours out of town to see the movie, as it wasn't playing in my home town. This adds Sia: Nostalgic For The Present to my list of movies I've made special road trips just to see, which includes Boruto: Naruto the Movie, and the anime film Belle. I would definitely say the movie was well worth the trip, and everything I could ever ask or hope for from a movie by this artist. Needless to say, the music was fantastic, Sia's singing was top notch, and the dancers and actors were all phenomenal and expressive in their roles. Fans of Sia will be sure to love the film.
No comments:
Post a Comment