Review: Neil Young Journeys

Jonathan Demme will be forever known for The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and a handful of other feature films, but horror and suspense has been such a tiny part of his career. At least half his time has been spent making documentaries and music videos, and especially documentaries about music. He made one of the greatest, the Talking Heads concert movie, Stop Making Sense (1984). Now, over the past half-dozen years, he has quietly made a trilogy about that great American rocker Neil Young.

Neil Young: Heart of Gold (2006) showcased Young's then-new album Prairie Wind. I somehow missed the second entry, Neil Young Trunk Show (2009), but now the third, Neil Young Journeys, is here. This one comes from a solo show at Massey Hall. The material is focused on his 2010 album, Le Noise, including tunes like "Love and War," "Walk with Me," "Hitchhiker," "Peaceful Valley Boulevard," and "Sign of Love." It's hard to argue that the new songs are as poetic as the older ones. They're more literal, more blatantly upset about war and more appreciative of love.

He also performs a handful of classics: "My, My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)," "Ohio," and "Helpless" among them. Some of them spring powerfully to life, and others don't. One of the most stunning moments comes on a rare song, "Leia," sung with such aching tenderness that you want to weep. Demme films Young in long, unbroken close-ups, sometimes taking in the bare stage and rarely looking at the audience. Unfortunately, he also uses a tiny camera mounted in or near the microphone, which shoots right up Young's nostrils; this can be disconcerting to look at for long minutes at a time.

But for long stretches, while looking so closely at the man's face, you can begin to see the years of wondering, searching, and yearning. Demme also includes some odd backstage footage, such as a weird, solitary ritual -- involving what looks like beer and oranges -- that Young performs just before returning for his encore. Aside from the music, we get a glimpse of the man.

Additionally, between songs, Demme follows as Young and his brother drive around their Toronto hometown (in one of Young's beloved classic cars, a 1956 Ford Crown Victoria), checking out old sites and reliving old memories. Overall, it's not a dazzling or groundbreaking movie, but it's an awfully good one, showcasing one of our most durable and honest rockers. I won't say he's at his best here, because it's only partly true: he's always at his best.