DMovies - Your platform for thought-provoking cinema

Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration

Chaka Khan, James Taylor, Graham Nash and many others join forces on stage in order to celebrate a living songwriting legend - in cinemas on Thursday, March 21st

Joni Mitchell was a welcome participant in the crepuscular closer The Last Waltz, a compassionate collective cheering farewell to the methodologies of the late 1960s. The sparse “Coyote” reflected Robbie Robertson’s pictorial ballads. Demonstrative drums aided her voice as Rick Danko and Richard Manuel paired in harmonious richness. It’s a memorable moment in a set list that includes Neil Young, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr and Bob Dylan. Over 19 albums, Mitchell’s output flourished with the detail and description a painting would deliver. Dividing her work between art and music, Mitchell’s trajectory covered themes of unvarnished emotion, Woodstock and Big Yellow Taxi a perennial cover inviting singers to the bygone, but envied, 1970s. Fittingly, this film celebrates her career, modelled on Martin Scorsese’s musical epic.

It doesn’t quite match the bar set by the band, but Mitchell is ably celebrated by singers contemporary and youthful delivering her life’s work. The stage welcomes Chaka Khan, Rufus Wainwright, Seal, Brandi Carlile, Glen Hansard, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones,Diana Krall; Kris Kristofferson, Los Lobos with La Marisoul, Cesar Castro & Xochi Flores, delving with adaptations faithful to the transformative (Both Sides Now comes across as a very different beast under Seal’s luxuriant tones).

Graham Nash dedicates a number he wrote half a century ago and Déjà Vu’s Our House sounds more personal given the backstory Nash attributes to this standard. James Taylor strums the delicious “River”, undoubtedly aware of his muse in the song’s creation. The celebration culminates with all the stars performing and presenting Mitchell with a birthday cake on stage, who otherwise takes a more reclusive stand during the concert.

Nora Jones is much less reclusive, delivering the show-stealing rendition of Court and Spark a haunting essay of despair, vibrating over Jones’ low hanging voice. Behind her, a plaintive piano posits itself with rehearsed ease, denying other tracks a certain inspired live energy, but maintaining a standard of consistency among artists. In Mitchell’s absence, musical directors and bandmates Jon Cowherd and Brian Blade keep the ship in check. Between the sets, singers allow themselves a moment to praise Mitchell and the influence she has bestowed their careers.

Mitchell is missed, yet the film ably shows the imagination of her penwork, the variety of her songs, the steadfast nature of her art and the power one songwriter holds on generations of singers. Rather than wrap a period forever sought after, this is a waltz that invites its viewers to join in.

Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration is in cinemas across the world on Thursday, March 21st.


By Eoghan Lyng - 03-03-2019

Throughout a journey found through his own writings and the writings of other filmmakers, Eoghan has taken to the spirit of the surreal to find greater meaning from the real. He finds it far easier to...

DMovies Poll

Are the Oscars dirty enough for DMovies?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Most Read

Forget Friday the 13th, Paranormal Activity and the [Read More...]
Just a few years back, finding a film [Read More...]
A lot of British people would rather forget [Read More...]
Pigs might fly. And so Brexit might happen. [Read More...]
Sexual diversity is at the very heart of [Read More...]
Films quotes are very powerful not just because [Read More...]

Read More

Elvis: ’68 Comeback Special

Steve Binder
2018

Victor Fraga - 02-08-2018

Seminal television show that catapulted Elvis Presley back to the top of the music showbiz world celebrates 50 anniversary by returning to cinemas for one night only with special commentary by the film director and Priscilla - on Thursday, August 16th. [Read More...]

Liberation Day

Uģis Olte/ Morten Traavik
2017

Victor Fraga - 06-08-2017

As weird as it gets: documentary about the highly controversial avant-garde band Laibach's concert in extremely secretive North Korea offers unique insight into an extremely peculiar and explosive event - from DokuFest [Read More...]

The top 10 rock’n roll docs of all times

 

DMovies team - 30-10-2016

As he prepares for the latest edition of the Doc'n Roll Film Festival - possibly the UK's largest hybrid feast of cinema and music -, the event's founder and director Colm Forde shares with us his list of the 10 most impressive rock'n roll documentaries ever! [Read More...]

Facebook Comment

Website Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *