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Elliot (Demetri Martin), right, gets sidetracked on his way to the big show by a couple of happy LSD campers in the fact-based “Taking Woodstock.” |
“Taking Woodstock,” Ang Lee’s hippy trip down memory lane to the biggest block party in the Age of Aquarius, offers a clever running gag about the young man responsible for making the Woodstock event happen.
Every time that Elliot Teichberg (comedian Demetri Martin) tries to catch some onstage action with Jimi Hendrix, The Who or Joan Baez, his crazy mom distracts him, or he gets sidetracked by a sexually liberated couple in a minivan, or general mayhem breaks out and he has to deal with it.
So, Elliot misses the party.
Likewise, “Taking Woodstock” misses the boat. (Or should that be yellow submarine?)
“Taking Woodstock” is a pleasant, amusing behind-the-scenes story of how the music phenomenon came into existence. But its meager payoffs come in small doses. A couple of showcase sequences highlight the film, along with an obligatory acid trip, and a freakishly perfect supporting role by Eugene Levy as Max Yasgur, the owner of the Woodstock pasture. (Read more…)