Review of Taking Woodstock (2009) by Thomas W — 12 Mar 2010

Taking Woodstock is MOST definitely a lesser Ang Lee film. The Tiawanese director has given us masterpieces (Sense and Sensibility and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), films of near greatness (Brokeback Mountain and The Ice Storm) and good ones (Ride with the Devil, Eat Drink Man Woman and Lust, Caution).

His nearest equivalant of a misfire would be Hulk -- a film that I found to be both watchable and fine even if it was slightly misunderstood by most of its audience (I don't think people actually wanted to think while they watched this superhero movie -- I think they must have forgotten Banner's origin and backstory).

Lee's films tend to be rather cerebral and I think Hulk was just too much for them. A lot of thought also went into Taking Woodstock. As wild and carefree and without caution or concern we are led to believe Woodstock embodied, Lee has filled this motion picture with a lot of thinking and organization.

There was almost too much of it and not enough Woodstock! I also found that the film felt tiresome and long -- which is kind of odd. I did expect more Woodstock when I watched the film and I was unaware that most of the movie was about the story that led up to the historical event.

Had I known this I might have thought differently of the film. The story follows one repressed, Jewish man's uneventful existence (Demetri Martin) managing his parents' run-down Catskills motel (the mother is played by the ever-so-annoying, wonderful Imelda Staunton) while trying to generate much needed money and tourism for their dying/sleepy little town.

Thinking he has signed up his town for a festival of music appreciation (!), he unintentionally, instead, gives birth to the Woodstock that we all know of today. Before the actual concert begins (and hence a big chunk of the movie), we follow Martin and a slew of big city, music industry insiders as they line up music acts, create parking facilities, find venues large enough to accommodate the large crowds (the now-infamus muddy field belongs to dairy farmer Eugene Levy), etc.

The movie is only a little bit about Woodstock since it mostly belongs to Martin's character who finally finds the freedom (it ends up being mostly sexual) his mind has long held secret. If it makes any sense, I would say Taking Woodstock was too much and not enough at the same time.

The central focus the film eventually took wasn't what the beginning of the movie had going for it.