By John DeFore
AUSTIN, Texas (Hollywood Reporter) -
Once upon a time, the
painted rock demons of KISS took off their makeup. The
unmasking offered in "Bananaz" might be less iconic, but it has
its pleasures, especially for the dedicated fans of Gorillaz, a
platinum-selling rock/hip-hop group whose members are cartoon
characters.
Not only does the documentary show fans the faces of the
real musicians who voice the cartoon hitmakers (and of the many
guests who have peppered their records, from De La Soul to
Buena Vista Social Club singer Ibrahim Ferrer), but it charts
the combo's evolution almost from the moment of conception
through the release of their second album.
The film's focus is on the two men most responsible for
Gorillaz: Damon Albarn of the Brit pop group Blur and
nonmusician Jamie Hewlett, who supplies the cartoons. Viewers
who don't arrive with a built-in devotion to the band might
find the duo more than a little off-putting: Their humor is
juvenile, the men are narcissistic, and their occasional stabs
at real-world political relevance border on the laughable.
Director Ceri Levy, seemingly a buddy of his subjects,
takes a fly-on-the-wall approach and never worries about
explaining things to newcomers; he's laissez-faire enough to
let mumbled bits of speech zip by unintelligibly. But if the
behind-the-scenes component doesn't work hard to win over
outsiders, the subject has its own built-in appeal.
Director: Ceri Levy; Producers: Rachel Connors, Ceri Levy;
Director of photography: Ceri Levy; Music: Gorillaz; Editor:
Seb Monk.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
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