Taking Woodstock (Ang Lee, 2009)

Taking_WoodstockLee’s behind-the-scenes portrait of Woodstock is, quite literally, all over the place. At times a vibrant and sympathetic portrait of the counterculture’s most visible evocation of the power of peace, love, and music, it is at other times a snarky social comedy about the misguided notions of the past. The film is at its best when it’s playing time machine, transporting us back to a seminal moment when everything seemed possible, but it is saddled with side stories that are meant to put specific faces on the issues of the time (mainly gay liberation and the effects of Vietnam), but feel meandering and unfocused. (Starplex 16, Waco, TX)

Leave a Reply