I went into this fish-out-of-water documentary about a choir of senior citizens -- aged 75 to 92 -- thinking that perhaps there’d be some light entertainment if I could only see past the mild condescension and hear past the major off-key atrocities.

But I came out thinking I had just witnessed one of the great documentaries of 2007/08.

The power of music, the power of expanding horizons, the power to enlighten and inspire far beyond the boundaries of those in their final acts.

Sonic Youth, James Brown, Talking Heads, The Ramones, The Clash, David Bowie, Coldplay, Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Springsteen are but a sampling of what this choir wrestles to embrace as their own.

And the results are often surprising, especially with Sonic Youth’s “Schizophrenia”.

And then, finally, there is Bob Dylan and Prince with “Forever Young” and “Nothing Compares 2 U” respectively -- one at a Prison, one at practice, both devastating beyond words with a newfound poignancy for everyone who won’t exit this planet standing.

Seen it yet? Loved it? Hated it?




[Edited 5/10/08 16:26pm]

I probably should have considered posting this in the Prince forum, as it gets right to the heart of the latest legal matter that affects this very site.

If you look at YouTube, you will find most every musical performance from this incredible film.

But you won't find Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U".

Now perhaps this performance has never even been posted. But even if it had, and it's astonishingly affective, I'm sure Prince's henchman would have had it pulled for their own selfish reasons.

But, you know what? These people, aged 75 to 92, don't give a shit about such trivialities.

They sing because they can. They sing because it's a great workout for the lungs. They sing and change imprisoned souls that can't totally shroud their true feelings.

This is not some corny bullshit (just check David Byrne performing with them). This is the real deal.

But some surely may put up their guard and consider it all too depressing, too real. After all, what is the fundamental reason that old people have almost no role in our society? Heck, with women they put them out to pasture at 40 or 45, or whenever they're deemed not to be fuckable by the majority of the paying consumers. Sick.

Yes, I understand. Some want to believe that they will be forever young. And that can be true, but not physically.

Here's this choir performing Bob Dylan's "Forever Young". Fortunately it has stood for 8 months without anyone being threatened with a lawsuit.

And it promotes this choir, their purpose, this small film -- and, yes, Bob Dylan's genius.

You don't know what you're doing Prince, but I truly believe that you think that what you're doing is for the best.

Perhaps this film would change his heart, or perhaps he'd just dig in even deeper, bristling in the presence of this awful version of his music.

"What's next, dancing babies?!"


[Edited 5/10/08 15:16pm]