Weird: The Al Yankovic Story review: Daniel Radcliffe gives 10000%

Polygon has teams on the scene at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival to report on horror, comedy, drama and action films meant to dominate the cinematic conversation heading into awards season. This review was published to coincide with his TIFF premiere of the film.

For nearly 50 years, there’s one man who’s defined parody music at its best. His subjects range from his pop icons such as Madonna and Michael He Jackson to rock and hip-hop his creators such as Joan his Jet and Coolio. He is known not by his name, but by the title he chose, “Weird Al” Yankovic.

some of the first words uttered in Strange: The Al Yankovic Story Satire means: “Life is like a parody of your favorite song” Forrest GumpThe iconic “chocolate box” line. This is how every beat in an Eric Appel feature film is his funny or short die of the same name Aim for Why don’t biopics about the lives of parody artists become parodies? strange Relentless about making fun of virtually every damn subject it touches. Co-written by Appel and Yankovic himself, the film embraces and skewers most of the musical biographies that preceded it, along with the history of music itself. It’s like an onslaught of humor, with every scene as an excuse he tells one or more jokes. many more. Like Appel’s original fake trailer short, this feature rewrites Yankovic’s life by creating a strange amalgamation of reality and fiction.

strange Starting with the falsified end of Jankovic’s life, it was quickly revealed in the death scene at the hospital that it was a fake and a long history setup. Appel and Yankovic (played in the film by Harry Potter series star Daniel Radcliffe) have a sweet time with the kind of moments musical biopics are best known for doing to death. A shocking collaboration, a tender mentorship, a heartbreaking descent into the world of drugs, sex, and alcohol. method, constantly making the audience question what reality really means in fiction.

Accuracy has become the defining measure of how modern biopics are judged, but Appel and Yankovic question that notion. Some filmmakers choose to sacrifice history in favor of a sanitized and accessible product, usually at the request of the documented artist or those who control their images. .bohemian rhapsody is a typical example. ) Other filmmakers, like Bertrand Bonello, aim for something closer to a more honest version of reality. saint laurent, In contrast to Jalil Lespert’s “Approved” Yves Saint LaurentOr, like Todd Haynes’ brilliant, it incorporates fantasy and metaphor to paint a larger portrait of the artist. I’m Not There.

But even documentary portraiture sums up life in a few hours, creating a clear and undeniable falsehood. This is where his skills in parodying Jankovic come into play. handyHe rewrote history so deftly that even viewers who knew little about Yankovic’s true life story could recognize how he adapted it for the benefit of the comic. I have rewritten it down to the point of blatant falsehood.

Photo: Aaron Epstein/Roku Channel

The film moves comfortably between the expected three acts. His downfall under the influence of drugs, alcohol and Madonna. and the rehab of his image after his relationship ended and his return to the past that brings true peace of mind and normalization. Simple snippets are sometimes the most sincere because of the way Yankovic recorded his debut song.my bolognain the university restroom. Dr. Demento’s comedy His Music was just as good on acoustics as his show brought Yankovic to national attention. Along the way, the film recontextualizes his live production. His “Like a Surgeon” performance Madonna parody truth or dare Performance of “Like a Virgin”.

strangeapproach to music history transforms a niche, obvious real event into a moment that revolves around Yankovic in an openly absurd way. There’s Weird Al with his record around his neck and a full Oprah interview.He’s been arrested in Miami for public exposure Instead of Jim Morrison, an event reconfigured to have Jankovic blowing the accordion on stage instead of on the genitals. (The film frames the accordion as obscene throughout the film, such as when his teen Yankovic is caught by police while playing the accordion at Polka’s party.)

Pablo Escobar Report Interest in Michael Jackson Kidnapping Escobar instead becomes obsessed with Yankovic, which translates into a subplot where he kidnaps his in-film girlfriend Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood). boogie nightsElton John, Pee Wee Herman, Devo, Tiny Tim, Gallagher, Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, Wolfman Jack, John Deacon, Divine and other celebrities all in the same room at once, backyard party style, weird I was overwhelmed by the power of Al’s parody abilities.

Image: Roku Channel

The real turning point from playful fiction to blatantly ahistorical comes with the framing of the song.eat it“As an original song, not a parody of Michael Jackson”beat itWithin minutes of both audiences and record labels hearing this “Al Yankovic new original song,” Jackson’s “Beat It” hit the radio, dashing his dreams of being taken seriously as an original artist. , the world came to believe in him. The song has been a parody all along.

A simple story beat reminiscent of Jankovic Minor 30 rock Cameo Jenna Maloney tries to write Songs that cannot be parodied failing the artist so that he creates Popular “Serious” Songs instead. But the “Eat It” arc and its humor create a whole new dramatic arc for the film. Yankovic’s persona and commitment to the brand is what makes his on-screen appearances across pop culture so enjoyable. Plain, “not weird” version of myself upon work in progressThe actors in his biopic are equally committed to the straight-faced silliness that defines this film.

Finding all the cameos (often from well-known actors and comedians playing various celebrities) contributes to the joy of the film, but Daniel Radcliffe’s turn as Yankovic grounds the story. Perhaps the term “down to earth” was used in a film featuring Weird Al meeting Queen Elizabeth II (due to Queen Elizabeth II’s death on the day of the film’s premiere at TIFF, during the screening). Loud, a little obnoxious, and made me laugh) could be the wrong word for a movie that features the idea that weird Al might take over. Roger Moore as James Bond. But everything this movie does well comes down to Radcliffe’s acting.

Instead of live vocals or covers, the actors lip-sync to Al’s actual voice, which is intentional and decidedly weird.It’s not exactly an individually great performance, but it perfectly captures the sincerity that has earned so many actors an Oscar nod or nomination in the face of completely nonsensical storytelling and writing. Even supporting performances like Madonna the villain, Julian Nicholson’s occasional cutting but mainly Toby Huss as Yankovic’s mother Mary, and Toby Huss’ Nick as Nick in Yankovic’s Labor can’t stand the accordion music. A class father feels that everything is ideally calculated. behind the music the role they play.

in an area walk hard It is often cited as the definitive work of musical and biographical parody. walk the line When Rayand signs of movies like bohemian rhapsody, rocket man, Also inspired by Baz Luhrmann elvis — would be fairly easy to dismiss Strange: The Al Yankovic Story Nothing special. But it’s Yankovic’s attention to detail and embracing the absurdity that make this film so engrossingly compelling. each viewer).

It’s actually an extended piece of funny parody art, an extended return to comedy by someone who’s a master of comedy. In a world where this man hasn’t released an album in eight years, it’s refreshing to have this cinematic ode to his distinctive brand of humor.

Strange: The Al Yankovic Story will stream for free on the Roku Channel starting November 4th.