Review of Neil Young: Heart of Gold (2006) by Davidd. — 27 Feb 2006

I am trying to come to terms with my reaction to this movie. I love Neil and I love Demme, but. I was at the concert in Nashville where the movie was made and thus am very attuned to the artifice in what is being sold as a completely natural film and perfromance.

I just can't get over the last scene where Neil sings one last song in a single camera shoton stage in an empty Ryman Auditorium. Beautiful song and performance but you know he is going to put the guitar in it's flimsy case and pick up that bag that nobody has used as a real bag sing 1890 and stand up and stare out at the Ryman before touring the apron of the stage in a huge sweep before leaving the empty hall.

So nauseatingly contrived it made me doubt the whole film.