Review of Air Guitar Nation (2006) by Jarrad R — 30 Sep 2007

I must admit that when I heard about this film I questioned whether a film about a bunch of metal-heads pretending to play guitar could possibly be worthwhile. I forgot the golden rule, guys - 'you can make a documentary about anything as long as you make it well'.

The best thing about the film is that the makers treat the subject with the same mix between amusement and seriousness as the competitors. You end up both caring about the fate of the contestants, marvelling at their abilities all while laughing at the ridiculousness of grown adults pretending to play guitar on a stage in front of hundreds of people.

The serious ideological impetus behind the World Championships founding in Sweden comes as a surprise and really endeared me to the whole idea. Afterall, as the Finnish organisers said, you can't hold both a gun AND an air guitar ar the same time.