8.26.2012

REVIEW: Big Easy Express


Emmett Malloy has done it again. He is an incredible storyteller, but when there is a subject matter as good as this, it just takes a skilled and talented director to point it in the right direction. Documenting a very unique tour, the film follows 3 bands (Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Mumford & Sons, and Old Crow Medicine Show) from Oakland, CA to New Orleans, LA aboard a vintage train stopping along the way to put on incredible live concerts showcasing their superb blends of folk, indie rock, and live energy. Showing not only the incredible music but the camaraderie as well, Malloy tells the story of this tour through the musings of the band. Incredible once-in-a-lifetime behind-the-scenes collaborations happen in every nook and cranny on that vintage train, and the music created is forever enshrined within this film. Aside from the music, the artistry of the filmmaking, cinematography, and sound of the film are as good as any documentary, award nominated or otherwise. This cross country journey is one that any music fan, even those not into the genres of the bands within, can become immersed in. See the country as it was once seen before the days of air travel and superhighways, and do it with great bands, even better music, and through the eyes of a visionary director.