Gogol Bordello Non-Stop

Directed by:  Margarita Jimeno Cast: Eugene Hutz Running Time:  1 hr 30 mins Rating: Not Rated Release Date: November 27, 2009

PLOT: Eugene Hutz forms a band to combine the aesthetic of gypsy folk music with the passion of punk.  Filmmaker Jimeno documents the creation of the band in New York through it's ascendance in popularity.

WHO'S IT FOR? Fans of Gogol Bordello or people interested in finding out what Gypsy Punk is.

EXPECTATIONS: I'm a fan of the band and was hoping for a film that could rival the excitement and passion of a live Gogol Bordello performance.

SCORECARD (0-10)

ACTORS: Eugene Hutz as himself:  Though Gogol Bordello is a band and I wouldn't want to suggest that each member doesn't make a contribution, the heart and soul of this film and the group is Hutz.  The film shows home video of Hutz as a kid in the former USSR, watching music videos and talking about coming to America.  At 17 his family emigrated as refugees and it sounds like they had a bumpy landing in New York City.  But he also brought a love of gypsy music and the gypsy lifestyle.  Watching Hutz perform is the highlight of the film, he's totally in his element on the stage.  But when he tries to describe his feelings about performing or how he feels about the music, it never really works.  He can't capture the excitement of being on stage in words.  And though the film tries, it never quite captures the excitement of Hutz onstage.  I've seen them live, they're amazing, Hutz is a total force of nature.  But here he comes across more as an interesting eccentric then a powerful artist. Score:  7

TALKING: A lot of the dialogue is spoken in English by non-native speakers, so it can be hard to understand what people are saying.  No one's terribly well spoken either.  The music's much more informative than the talking. Score:  4

SIGHTS: Most of the film was shot on video cameras, but it's not bad.  A lot of early scenes in tiny clubs with wall to wall people look more natural on the grainy cameras.  What works the least are some of the weird bleached out shots that look like they come from an art film but are never explained. Score:  5

SOUNDS: The music is great, in fact I was kind of annoyed that they waited until the end to play "Think Locally, F--- Globally" which is a showstopper that just brings they house down when performed live.  The live versions of the songs are better than what you'd find on the albums. Score:  8

PLOT SPOILERS

BEST SCENE:  I liked the shots of the early days when Hutz ran a club night in a Bulgarian bar in NYC.  It makes me super jealous that I never went there.

ENDING:  There isn't really an ending, the film just stops.  Hutz says a little something about how he doesn't need to be a huge rockstar and that he's happy where he is... but it's he kind of is a rockstar so no need to demure.  The filmmaker really never makes a final statement.

QUESTIONS:  What was the director trying to accomplish with the film?  Where are Gogol Bordello going as a band?

REWATCHABILITY:  There are definitely certain pieces that I could watch over, but the film as a whole doesn't beg to be seen repeatedly.

OVERALL

I'm a little disappointed in this film.  Gogol Bordello are an amazing live band and though the film gives an inkling why, it doesn't really delve into things.  Jimeno touches on a bunch of different subjects, speaking to the individual band members, talking to some fans, showing different concert footage.  But she doesn't focus on anything especially.  You could make a whole film about Hutz's life story, without going into the live performances and gypsy culture.  Essentially, the film doesn't have a focus and the bouncing about all over the place left me kind of uninterested.  Since I actually like the band and want to know more, I can only imagine how someone who wasn't familiar with Gogol Bordello would feel.  So my advice, see the film if you really love Gogol Bordello, or if the band sounds super amazing to you.  Otherwise, you should probably just stay away.

FINAL SCORE: 6/10