The Summer of Sparks

July 2021

The biggest fan of Sparks that I know is my father. Ever since my childhood, Sparks has been in heavy rotation within my family. So, to me they are just as big as Bowie or T-Rex. When Edgar Wright announced he would be making his documentarian debut with a film about the Mael brothers, I knew there was only one person whose opinion mattered above all others, papa Campbell.

This interview was conducted an hour before seeing the documentary:

Me: When did you first hear about Sparks?

Him: I heard the record on the radio in Scotland and I saw them on Top of the Pops, and they were just so different. They just looked weird because the keyboard player looked like Hitler and never said anything. Their first song used to make me and my brother fight because it was ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us’. And they were on the same label as Roxy Music, so they must’ve been good.

Me: What is your first memory of Sparks?

Him: The cover of their second album which is a real aeroplane, and on the back of the gatefold is a false stage set which makes you think about ambiguity of what is real and what is unreal on planet sparks.

Me: What are your expectations about this documentary?

Him: They will receive the attention they deserve.

Me: What are your thoughts on Edgar Wright as a director?

Him: *silence*

Me: Y’know, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgri-

Him: Oh yes! I’ve heard of Shaun of the Dead.

Me: Do you think he’s the right man for the job?

Him: Yes, because he won’t take the subject so seriously, it’s not part of sparks world to take things seriously, to take themselves seriously.

Me: who else would you have wanted to direct this documentary? They can be living or dead.

Him: It would have to be an American or someone French.

Me: why French?

Him: Because they treat things with reverence that other countries don’t revere like Jerry Lewis or Alfred Hitchcock. Do you know any French female directors?

Me: uhhhh…Céline Sciamma.

Him: Yeah, she would be good.

Me: Finally, if you could commission a documentary about any musician who would you choose?

Him: Brian Eno

Me: Who would direct?

Him: Brian Eno.

This documentary feels like the most accurate way to portray creative artists like Ron and Russel. I am reminded strongly of Montage of Heck and how I appreciated including everything from the artist: journal entries, sculptures, paintings and of course music. When you have the creative spark (ba dum tiss) it spills outwards into every facet of your being. The different animation styles are lovely, and I really like seeing all the different art styles. A talking heads style documentary is a tried-and-true formula for making this film seem so intimate. It reminds me of when you wake up the day after an incredible concert and you just can’t stop geeking out over everything and replaying every little detail of the night before.

The true supernovas of the documentary are Ron and Russel- the eponymous Sparks Brothers themselves. Their music, their clothing and even the way they speak is so comfortingly strange. They feel like people we know in our lives. People you see scrawling in their notebooks at coffee shops or digging through record crates downtown. Human, imperfect but touched with the gift of music and brought together by the cosmic magic and misery of siblinghood. I can’t wait for Annette.

September 2021:

Oh my God, Annette!

I am no stranger to Leos Carax’s wildly creative films but if you are not familiar with his work, I would highly recommend watching some before heading off to see his latest because this! Is! Cinema! Baby!

Cotillard has a purity and sweetness to her performance as Ann whilst Driver just completely knocks it out of the park with his performance as Henry. It’s not often that we see an actor completely throw themselves into a role and not care how they will be perceived by mainstream media. Especially after being in a large corporate family friendly franchise. Annette is anything but this. I loved the fourth wall breaky, campy, larger than life, balls to the wall insanity, and nervous laughter that this film brings. you can see the love and care that was poured into this project, from the special effects to the lighting and undoubtedly the incredible puppetry. On that note: put more puppets on screen!

My reaction to Annette was gratefulness. Thank God someone wanted to greenlight something as unique as this and serve it up to the mainstream and thank God for weirdos like Ron and Russel who are always unapologetically themselves.