2008 – year of the unusual rock-doc. Following Heavy Metal in Baghdad and Heavy Load, Young @ Heart proves some rockers don’t want to die before they get old.
A bunch of aged singers revisiting classics by The Bee Gees, Talking Heads and Dylan, The Young @ Heart Chorus sounds like a one-note karaoke joke.
But, under the commanding leadership of Bob Cilman the choir is tighter than a Michael Jackson facelift, having toured the world and count the King and Queen of Norway amongst their fans.
Originally made for TV, Stephen Walker’s documentary is a heartfelt tribute to these oldsters who discovered life begins at 70, so it seems mean-spirited to criticise the first hour’s meandering pace and a stretched 107 minute running time, while the director's narration has the clipped, public school friendliness perfect for the small box, but odd sounding on the big screen.
Walker also misses a trick by not grilling spring chicken group director Cilman (aged 53), who seems bullying and ego driven when getting the show tune loving choir to tackle Sonic Youth, but has undeniably given the OAPs a new lease of life.
The adorable septuagenarian, octogenarian, and nonagenarian warblers’ vim and vigour withstands Cilman’s punishing rehearsals, but they have little to say beyond “you’re only as young as the woman you feel” cheek, and Walker never pushes them for opinions on the inevitable tragedies regularly befalling a group with more line-up changes than the Sugababes.
But, he sensitively handles a double tragedy that strikes the choir only a week before opening night, and breaks up the story with MTV style videos, the group tackling Stayin’ Alive and Road to Nowhere amongst others.
Judicious trimming would have improved the movie, but Johnny Cash-voiced Fred Knittle’s opening night rendition of Coldplay’s “Fix You”, dedicated to the recently departed members, is guaranteed to leave not a dry eye in the house.
Rob Daniel
