Word: goulds
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Divided into 32 vignettes, the film borrows its structure from Gould's first and most famous recording of Bach's "Goldberg Variations." Through a series of interviews, animated clips, and dramatized scenes from Gould's life, the film attempts to present a multi-faceted portrait of the pianist, but with mixed success. A common theme links the "Goldberg Variations" together, each revealing a new subtlety in the melody or voice in the harmony; in the film Gould is the main theme, but not every vignette contributes to the depiction of Gould's life or character. As a result of this...
...sympathetic interviews with colleagues, friends, and family give the film a quasi-documentary touch. The conversations soon reveal that even the people closest to Gould could not explain his numerous eccentricities, a fact that leaves many questions unanswered yet seems appropriate at the same time. Rather than trying to psychoanalyze the pianist, the film seems content to keep the theme of Gould open to interpretation. The film derives much of its humor from the ongoing bewilderment and second-guessing of his friends. Why did Gould insist upon wearing a scarf, hat, and gloves throughout the summer...
Colm Feore, in the role of Gould, plays the pianist with a believable mixture of neuroticism, genius, and vulnerability. Especially noteworthy, the vignette "Gould on Gould" shows Gould interviewing himself. The quick-fire repartee and witticisms show the sharp, self-deprecating humor and intelligence that were his trademark. In other scenes Feore expresses the loneliness of a man who would drive alone at night, calling up friends from telephone booths to talk about death and regret...
...animations and camera pans of inanimate objects bear a strong resemblance to Sesame Street scenes. Accompanied by a fugue or well-chosen cantata, these vignettes aim at artistry, but instead seem to be trying too hard. The visual images are not arresting enough to match the cerebral music that Gould worked so hard to create...
...despite these small disappointments, "Thirty Two Short Films" presents an entertaining and thought-provoking perspective on Gould--not an easy task, considering the complexity and inconsistency of his character. The film does not focus solely on his work or his eccentricities, but instead balances the two in order to better examine their effect upon each other; the prelude and the humming come together in a new variation on Gould...