2016 | France, Germany | R | 90 min.
If you’re going to break the rules, you’d better
do it with purpose—that’s what made Frank Zappa
great, and that’s what makes this documentary
about his life and legacy so exhilaratingly
essential. Whether or not you’re familiar with
the prolific output (over 80 albums are credited
to his name) of one of rock ‘n roll’s most controversial
and misunderstood cult figures—known
as much for his lacerating wit as his musical genius—you’ll
be completely absorbed by this vivid
portrait of an undeniably brilliant mind. Made
up entirely of interviews with and performances
by Zappa, Thorsten Schütte defies traditional
biopic tropes—and in the process, perfectly captures
the provocative artist’s essence. Zappa
tackled everything with fierce intelligence
and biting humor, from his battles with Tipper
Gore over parental music labels and artistic
censorship, to his role in inspiring the Czechoslovakian
revolution. All of his glorious complexities
are on full display in this film that is
as uncompromising, energetic, and brash as the
legend himself.