Lapeer Area View

Eurovision Song Contest a great underdog tale


 

 

No one asks me for music recommendations. People have learned better than to make that mistake, and it’s probably for the best. My idea of a sweet summer jam is Hungarian avant garde black metal, and my go-to party soundtrack usually kicks off with British grindcore/industrial band Anaal Nathrakh.

I’m equally likely to recommend French electro, or Greek symphonic death metal, or Swedish garage rock. It depends on the day.

My music tastes tend to be all over the place, from all over the world. Which is why, when watching the new Netflix movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, I was in it for the music.

The movie, released on Netflix this week, tells the story of an Icelandic duo with dreams to win the Eurovision Song Contest, which, for those unaware, is a real thing and not unlike an Olympics for music that the United States is not invited to. It’s a tale as old as time – underdogs, whom no one gives a snowball’s chance in a volcano, work their way into a prestigious competition through fate, luck and exploding yachts, and along the way find themselves, face tough challenges, nearly die onstage in a freak hamster wheel accident, then win the hearts of their detractors with an exhibition of pure song. The story is basically Bloodsport, but with club music.

Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams star as the titular duo Fire Saga, crafting their Euro-house tunes under the disapproving eye of Ferrell’s father, the fantastically coifed Pierce Brosnan. I’m no fan of Ferrell, and my distaste for him as a performer certainly affected my enjoyment of this movie, but despite that I couldn’t help myself feel charmed by the earnestness of the whole thing. Ferrell’s the only American in the main cast, and as he and the Canadian McAdams mush their way through what I suspect is the worst example of an Icelandic accent ever put to film, they’re propped up by a fantastic supporting cast highlighted by Dan Stevens.

Stevens is worth watching in anything he does (Legion and The Guest being my personal favorites) but his performance as Russian billionaire megastar Alexander Lemtov is reason enough to take a flyer on Eurovision Song Contest.

That’s not to say the vocal performances in this particular movie are what those in the business might refer to as “real,” however. Apart from Will Ferrell (who is certainly trying his best), the voices we hear coming out of McAdams and Stevens aren’t their own. In the case of McAdams, while she did sing the songs featured in the movie, her vocals were actually blended with a professional singer from Sweden (and former real-life Eurovision Song Contest competitor) Molly Sanden. Aside from that trio, most others in the movie who pick up a mic are the real deal – peppering the film are truelife Eurovision Song Contest performers, a fact that I definitely had to look up.

Would I have liked this movie more if it featured literally any actor other than Will Ferrell in the lead role? Definitely. But will I allow my dislike for the actor to influence my recommendation to watch it? I’m trying really hard not to let it. It’s a worthwhile watch, and the lighthearted, rooting-for-the-little-guy nature of it is certainly welcome in a world currently enveloped by doom and gloom. Just be thankful that I’m recommending a movie, and not music. Speaking of, have you heard French black metal/breakcore/baroque fusion artist Igorrr’s new album?

Nicholas Pugliese