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Love Shines
An atmospheric quest film, Love Shines follows Canadian songwriter Ron Sexsmith as he embarks on a last ditch effort to achieve a 'hit'. The curtain pulls back for a rare glimpse inside the process as Sexsmith works with legendary producer Bob Rock (Metallica, Motley Crue). But will this be enough? Sexsmith must emerge with a song that achieves commercial radio play, but the journey with Rock also turns introspective.
| Release : | 2010 |
| Rating : | 7.8 |
| Studio : | |
| Crew : | Director, |
| Cast : | Ron Sexsmith Bob Rock Leslie Feist Steve Earle Daniel Lanois |
| Genre : | Documentary Music |
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Reviews
Excellent but underrated film
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.
Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.
I recently saw Daniel Lanois' film "Here Is What Is." In it, there is a quiet scene; an exchange between Lanois and Brian Eno in which Lanois asks Eno where art/music comes from. Eno explains that, while most people would think that a composer like Mozart merely sat down and wrote his symphonies in one go, the creative process is more of a piecing together of elements over time, a slow build if you will; it's rare that those elements simply fall together at the start of the process. Eno's words are inspiring to anyone yearning to tap into their inner artist and gain the confidence to "build" their creative works.Love Shines provides a peek behind the artistic process. The film illuminates the unlikely pairing of legendary music producer Bob Rock and balladeer Ron Sexsmith as they record Ron's latest album. Throughout the movie, Ron lays bare his feelings and frustrations surrounding his often elusive success, bringing us a genuine sense of his humanity. Shot over the period of 8 or 9 years, the film ultimately must be described as a feel-good piece, as underdog Sexsmith gains the audience's hearts and support as we witness his own slow build. It should be noted that the score, most of which features the songs from his latest album, doesn't disappoint either.Nice work.
A combination of excellent photography, wonderful music and an unlikely star in the form of Ron Sexsmith makes Love Shines compelling cinema.Telling the story of Ron Sexsmith's battle for mainstream success despite a considerable reputation as a singer/songwriter in his native Canada (winner of the 2005 Juno songwriting award), it's a remarkably frank insight into one man's struggle with identity and self-respect. Sexsmith is painfully honest about his self-doubts and it's only the testimony of the likes of Elvis Costello and Leslie Feist that makes clear just how highly rated he is by his fellow artists.An uplifting and inspiring movie that never drags.
