Review: The Smalls: Forever is a Long Time. About an hour into the documentary, The Smalls: Forever is a Long Time, we see some archival footage of what looks like a bitter confrontation between members of the Edmonton- based band. It’s shot somewhere in Europe in the 1. Drummer Terry Johnson . It’s followed by a segment featuring a dejected Mike Caldwell, the Smalls’ enigmatic frontman, expressing exhaustion over the band’s career trajectory, or lack thereof. It turns out these scenes are taken from another documentary, a presumably little- seen short entitled The Smalls . It chronicled the band’s first tour of Belgium and France and, judging by the aforementioned scenes, imminent implosion. Forever is a Long Time picks up the story years later. It’s a beautifully shot, expertly constructed feature- length documentary produced by Calgary’s Crowsnest Films and directed by Trevor Smith.
People just try to fit us into whatever music happens to be playing at the. On Blogger since August 2005. Filmmaker behind 'the smalls.er whatever' a rock doc featuring Corb Lund of Corb Lund and the Hurtin. The Smalls were formed when Doug Bevans and Corb Lund. Footage was added to an independentally produced documentary entitled 'The Smalls. Er Whatever,' by John. At its best, it unfolds with a thoughtful and meditative tone and finds subtle insight about maturity and regret in the unlikeliest of settings. Fourteen years after the band had called it quits, the four band members embark on a cross- Canada reunion tour through sweaty clubs. In rock . Despite reportedly capturing hundreds of hours, Smith’s new footage doesn’t contain anything approaching the fireworks on display in the earlier film. The four are now in their mid- 4. They certainly don’t seem like the hungry, uncompromising and argumentative young road warriors described by adoring fans and fellow musicians, who heap praise on the act throughout the film. In fact, the documentary spends a good deal of its time arguing the merits of the Smalls’ music, a complex hybrid of thundering metal, hardcore fury and tricky tempo shifts. The band’s champions are articulate enough, but the uninitiated may eventually tire of all the giddy exaltation on display. A much better case is made by the gorgeously shot live footage captured during the band’s 2. Smith, a talented art director and production designer and one- time head programmer of the Calgary International Film Festival, has a great eye for composing exhilarating live footage. The film may be about a scrappy and fiercely DIY band, but Forever is a Long Time is far from guerrilla filmmaking. The live shots are particularly impressive and dramatic, occasionally unfolding in slow- motion and almost always giving the impression that something momentous is going on. The best documentaries about music, including The Devil and Daniel Johnston, Jandek on Corword and Searching for Sugar Man, all shine a light on little- known, under- appreciated or just plain strange musical talents. In some ways, Forever employs a similar argument: The Smalls were an anomaly that the world simply wasn’t ready for. Unlike those films, however, it doesn’t have a mystery at its heart to turn the narrative into something that transcends the music. The Smalls have their own story, of course. But there is nothing particularly unusual about it. They were a cult band. They were treated badly by a record label. Their drummer had issues with alcohol. Their bassist, country star Corb Lund, began cultivating his own successful solo career. Eventually, they hit a plateau and were unable to rise above their status as a regional curiosity. They moved on. This is all touched on in the film with a decency that is respectful if not always hard- hitting. After awhile, a part of you may secretly yearn for the sort of dramatic meltdown Bob Dylan offers in D. Pennebaker’s groundbreaking 1. Dont Look Back, or the comical mudslinging between members of Metallica in Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky’s 2. Some Kind of Monster. But this isn’t really that type of film. It’s more about gratitude and nostalgia, exploring both the perils and benefits of growing up. So sit back and admire the skill on screen, whether it be the intricate riffs played by middle- aged musicians or the filmmaker pulling out all the stops to pay them affectionate tribute. The Smalls: Forever is a Long Time. Three- and- a- half out of Five. Director: Trevor Smith. Duration: 1. 07 minutes.
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