Film Review: The Sparks Brothers
For over 50 years, the enigmatic brotherly duo Ron and Russel Mael have formed the highly-influential, yet grossly under-appreciated band Sparks. They serve as the subject matter for Edgar Wright’s latest venture which pays tribute to their remarkable career, while also offering a definitive recap to effectively introduce them to the unfamiliar.
Photo Credits: Anna Webber.
With 25 albums and over 500 songs to their name, Sparks have constantly re-invented themselves musically, much to the fascination of its onlookers. Music luminaries act as armchair experts to proselytise on their ability, Todd Rundgren describes seeing them for the first-time: “it wasn’t like anything else”, as Giorgio Moroder who produced their work labelled it “the sound of the future”.
However, as Sparks oscillated between glam-rock, synth-pop and rock n’roll, their boundless creativity and comedic underpinnings frequently alluded the mainstream despite influencing some of the world’s biggest bands.
Edgar Wright’s boundless enthusiasm for the band is echoed constantly throughout, as the film celebrates their commitment to originality, and unwillingness to bend to ephemeral trends. Despite numerous peaks and troughs, the most enduring quality are their lyrics that often tell a story, but are also laced with double entendres and innuendos. This musical style fits neatly with Edgar Wright’s sense of humour, as the film infuses deadpan visual puns and ironic titles that match Sparks’ sensibility. For example, Wright recreates famous incidents throughout their career through a range of animation techniques, such as Claymation and cut and paste photos, that emulate music videos from Sparks’ past. Not only this, as voiceover narration admires how the band continue to push the envelope, the members of Sparks sit there pushing and pulling an envelope between them.
A veritable who’s who of the entertainment industry are compiled through talking heads to idolise their mystique. Immediately striking about the duo are their contrasting appearance, with Russel fulfilling the ‘pretty boy’ lead singer role, cavorting around the stage like Mick Jagger. Meanwhile, brother Ron is a stone-faced keyboardist with a square moustache staring directly into the camera. When they first appeared on television in the early 70s, it prompted John Lennon to call Ringo and say “You won’t believe what’s on the television. Marc Bolan is doing a song with Adolf Hitler.”
The film peeks through the window into their daily rituals to unmask the bizarre myths the brothers have procured over the years. In an ironic segment, Wright sits down with the brothers to ask Frequently Asked Questions like “how did you first meet?”, to which they reply non-plussed “we’re brothers”. This indicates the tip of the iceberg regarding how little anyone knows about this band.
Photo Credits: Anna Webber.
Their private lives are only touched upon as they adhere to a very repetitive and mundane lifestyle. For example, Russel visits the same café every day, Ron wears the same suit, and the brothers follow the same routine while working together on new music. Despite their lives being antithetical to the rockstar stereotype, their up-bringing and hobbies only further complicate an understanding of Sparks’ reputation as pioneering musicians. For example, Russel used to be a quarterback in high school despite his wiry frame, and Ron maintains a prolific snow globe collection that occasionally visually inspires some of their music videos.
With a run-time of 2 hours 15 minutes, the film is a comprehensive history of the band, while never feeling too long. The Sparks Brothers is a wonderfully enthusiastic and enjoyable tribute to the esoteric stylings, and wide-ranging influence, of the band Sparks.