"Burning"
Mogwai's new concert film will appeal to fan's, but may not win over new ones.
A concert film like Mogwai’s Burning is a trick to review, because by its very nature I’d be better served telling you about the accompanying live album, Special Moves. Shot over three days in Brooklyn in April 2009, Burning is an incredibly tight set, but it’s a true concert film in every sense. By this, I mean there are no interstitial bits, no scenes of the band doing whatever in between songs. The film runs about 45 minutes and is composed out of eight songs, shot in a purposely washed-out, grainy black and white to give the entire show a noir feel. (Just in case you miss the noir imagery, there are plenty of shots of rain-soaked streets to be had.) However, because of the lack of any kind of dialogue or breakup, the entire film feels like an extended music video, albeit a well-made one. This is, by and large, a film for fans of the Scottish outfit only, though a worthwhile look for anybody who enjoys the band. “Like Herod” and “Batcat” are compelling to hear in a live setting, but the real marvel is how clean of a recording this is; Mogwai’s live performance is near-perfect to their records. Burning is a solid entry into the concert film canon, but nothing to rush out and pick up.
Posted by Dominick Mayer on Aug 24, 2010 @ 11:11 am
