Neil Young Trunk Show Gets Gritty With Filming

Clinica Estetico

Michelle Singerman (CHARTattack)

09/15/2009 4:39pm

Jonathan Demme graced the stage at Yonge-Dundas Square without Neil Young on Monday night. The Oscar-winning filmmaker was in Toronto for the Canadian debut of the Neil Young Trunk Show, Demme's second feature-length film on the Canadian rocker.

Shakey fans and Toronto International Film Festival sheep had been awaiting the much-anticipated outdoor Young show as part of the TIFF Live In Concert Series, but word spread that Young pulled out late last week.

The claim: he never knew he was supposed to be in Toronto. Whoever dropped the ball, dropped it bad. A free Young show would've been a pretty impressive event, and made the allure of the Trunk Show screening much more enticing. Alas, there was no Neil in the flesh and the show went on.

Demme's second film about Young takes a different approach to the singer's performances than did his first attempt, Heart Of Gold. While the latter was filmed like a true silver screen production, the Trunk Show was mostly shot with handheld digital cameras, offering a more home video approach. The raw graininess of the footage creates a bootleg vibe, establishing a closer relationship between audience and performer.

In concert films past, the high-quality gloss can create a barrier between artist and fan. Not in the Trunk Show. In fact, at times the video was almost too bootleg-ish. It seemed as though Demme was experimenting with different film techniques as he recorded, sometimes getting much too close in Young's face than the camera (or audience) liked. Ultra close-up shots of the musician, as well as guitar-playing moments, were too zoomed in, making it difficult to focus or appreciate the awe of the shot.

But there were some phenomenal on-stage scenes throughout the film. The camera stationed behind the drums offered the classic viewpoint from the stage backdrop, giving us a peek at what it might look like to be drumming for Young. Then there was a camera perched on Young's piano, which created intimate moments between the great Canadian. It was seriously up close and personal.

We also got a sneak peak behind-the-scenes as Young dealt with serious issues that plague every rock star, such as the moment he needed to have his nail filed down because it intruded with his guitar movement. There were fun moments of stage crew restringing instruments and doing checks. Demme also snuck in some insightful moments with Young, who talked of the musical potential he has with his current band.

The Neil Young Trunk Show made it feel like you were at an intimate show and was a good way to catch any tunes you may have missed on the recent Chrome Dreams II tour. Thumbs up to Demme and Young — even though Young was a no-show.