Movie really is 'Young @ Heart'
Technically speaking, the musical performances in "Young @ Heart" are not exactly top-notch and they probably wouldn't be that noteworthy if not for some extenuating circumstances.
But there's something really enjoyable about seeing a group of 70-something, 80-something and 90-something amateurs performing with the energy of people who are half — or even a quarter — of their age.
And besides, the songs they're heard and seen singing come from such unlikely sources as the Clash, the Ramones, David Bowie, Sonic Youth and Coldplay.
That by itself would enough to make this documentary feature watchable. It just so happens that the subjects who are interviewed in the film are very charming and personable.
Included in that group is Bob Cilman, the decades-younger chorus director for Young @ Heart, which is made up largely of Northampton, Mass., senior citizens.
Stephen Walker's film follows the various group members as they prepare for an upcoming series of 2005 shows in their hometown.
There are disagreements with Cilman over the songs selected, which include Sonic Youth's "Schizophrenia." (Walker shows the sometimes cranky choristers disgustedly covering their ears when they hear the song played for the first time.)
Television documentarian Walker does make a few rookie filmmaking mistakes, but he's smart enough to know when to shut up and to let his subjects do the talking.
And besides, the chorus is full of really lively characters. The wisecracking, self-deprecating Fred Knittle and randy ninety-something Eileen Hall have so much presence and are so amusing that you'll wish the movie spent even more time with them.
But it's not just comedy here, either. A very poignant moment comes when baritone Knittle sings Coldplay's "Fix You" as a tribute to a deceased chorus member.
"Young @ Heart" is rated PG for scattered profanity (most of it mild), some suggestive language (including song lyrics), and brief drug references (prescription medicines). Running time: 108 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com
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