Customer Reviews

Render - Spanning Time with Ani DiFranco

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

For any Ani purists out there--this is a must have. (Just like you gotta have every one her CDs--even the ones you don't quite get) Even if you're only an occasional fan, I still think you'll like this. You won't watch it over and over, cause hey--it really is mostly just a music video. It's familiar ground for those who've been to her concerts. If you turn it up loud enough and turn off your lights--you'll feel like you're there. Much like Living in Clip though, there are those little insights in between the music that make this a new experience. That's really what I bought it for--and I wasn't disappointed. (that and a live version of Dilate!) One thing that really grabbed me was my own little "lesson learned." I have to admit, prior to watching this I never really quite agreed with those who said "don't sing along." I always figured that my singing along was my way of expressing how much I really admired Ani's talent for complex, fascinating and touching lyrics. The explanation she gives here though--it's changed my mind. These kind of moments are sprinkled throughout. Ok--that's all I'm going to say--I could sit here and describe every little perfect moment--but I prefer to treat this like a movie; thus I don't want to ruin the ending for you. Enjoy.

Although I'm a long-time fan of her music, I only recently witnessed firsthand the Ani-mania that accompanies her live concerts when I saw her play in April. The kind of energy that prevailed at her concert comes through strikingly well here, both in the intensity, funk, and humor of her performance as well as the (overwhelming!) hysteria of some fans. If Ani seems annoyed at some points in the film (as another reviewer suggests) it's probably because she is. Most of us would be under the circumstances--after all, Ani's only human, and the film reveals precisely that. She's just a woman with a guitar and a voice, and she wants to play.
But the film has a voice that's not confined to the ranks of chords and performances. It's a voice of social consciousness that addresses racism, politics, and a whole range of "cultural soul-searching" issues. And it's all packed in an artsy documentary format, insisting that this is way more than an adorned glorification of our folky friend. It's unpretentious and fun...and the music is OK, too;) Watch if you get the chance...you'll laugh, you'll cry...

People often chasitze Ani Difranco for being too preachy of an aritst. I find that funny when the majority of songs that she creates are the reason that we all are fans of her. These songs have the same message she mostly talks about in Render, so I assume it's that most of Ani's fans only like to hear her opinions when there is a guitar playing along. I don't think that's fair.

With Render, Ani Difranco takes you into what she experiences by touring with her band. You see her extended family, and you see her diligent work ethic and devotion to her craft. It's a film showcasing her and her beliefs, so if people cannot accept that, then they shouldn't have bought the DVD in the first place. After all, the DVD says directly Spanning Time with Ani Difranco, not Ani Difranco live in Concert (although I would be excited if she ever decided to release a DVD of that stature).

Also, I personally like most of the songs on the DVD, to the person that called them B-Sides. In fact, My IQ is one of my favorite poems by her, and Overlap is one of my favorite songs. Besides, the most important thing about this DVD is the overall impression, which I think is shown very well. Regardless of wehether or not you agree with her politics, this DVD shows them well researched and in a manner that is obviously just her voicing her opinion based on the things she's learned. To the person who said "why does she say don't judge people for their worst moment in their lives." I didn't see you complaining about the song "Fuel" on Little Plastic Castle, so I don't know why you're suprised she's against capital punishment. You get to get inside the mind of Ani Difranco, a compelling mind at that.

And while I don't agree with her not liking people to sing along at her shows, if you've been to her shows the people sometimes get out of hand and distracting. She's not a popstar, she's a folk singer so we don't want to see her dance and put on a circus like extravaganza. We want to hear her play, therefore Ani is valid for not wanting distractions so that she can do her best job live. I've seen her twice; she doesn't disappoint!

Fans of Ani Difranco know that her art is a moving target and therefore a simple live concert video, though highly satisfying, would have fallen short of the promise that the title of her latest masterpiece puts forth.

"Render - Spanning Time with Ani Difranco" is exactly what we want: a glimpse into her world that adds color and depth to the stories and emotions expressed in her music. In it we are treated to real life moments and given a sense of the camaraderie between the artist, her band and especially, her fans.

This is demonstrated best when, during a live performance of her song "Dilate," she stops and respectfully requests the fans not sing along. After the song's completion she takes the time to explain why she made the request. Artists rarely display such confidence in their audience and she is rewarded for her willingness to take such a risk: the fans love her even more for it.

"Render" also shows us some of the behind the scenes activities of her record label, road crew and includes a sequence documenting the editing and mixing process in the recording studio.

Not to mention some potent interview scenes where Ani lays down some of her views of America. At a time when we are being sold a party line that we are all in it together, she steps up and points out the many ways in which our society has become frayed and that we have strayed from the promise of our roots. And in so doing, she challenges us to change it.

It's a winner all around and it's why we love her!

i don't normally write reviews, but i think people are being very unfair about "render..."

i bought this dvd because an old friend once said "this woman is incredible" & sent me a cassette of difranco's "living in clip." i was amazed. she had an energy i had never felt before, her lyrics were intense & she didn't shy away from topics that are considered taboo like so many other writers trying to keep an audience. her honesty & just plain raw skill amazed me from the start, so i had to see her live when she was in town. again, i was blown away. since then i've bought at least 10 of her cd's, & the trust dvd is on the list next. i watch "render" at least once a month & every time find something that i didnt notice before that makes it strictly an ani experience. if you go in expecting a concert disc, you will be disappointed. but if you go into it wanting to learn something about her as a person, performer, & political activist, as well as the people behind her that put so much into the experience in the background, then watch this. overall it's definitely worth seeing, & the songs are great (overlap is my favorite, followed by my iq, & the song with sekou sundiata a close 3rd.) definitely one of my favorite ani experiences.

I strongly disagree with the reviewer from Aberdeen, WA. I have watched this DVD twice and found it to convey Ani's illuminating spirit, raw power, and unorthadox grace. We all have to pick our battles and use our assigned gifts to enable a sense of change in our private and public lives. I found Ani's commentary on her hometown, the legal system, and even the relationship she has to her music all aspects of her deep-rooted sense of social responsibility. At no point did she yell or be disrespectful to her audience, coworkers, or interviewers. I am slightly irritated that so many seem to confuse Ani's communication of self-resolve with adolescent rebellion. One of my favorite aspects of Render, is when it dips into the more tedious, unglamourous moments of creating music (on stage and in the studio) and being able to witness Ani's professionalism and self-discipline when few others are around.
I highly recommend this DVD to those who appreciate Ani as a self-made woman (not deity) who venerates life and the ability to affect positive change.

Although I consider myself a fan of her music, I found this DVD to have done a disservice to Ani DiFranco. The picture is often not synchronized with the sound, and the erratic editing, poorly done video effects, inter-cutting of home movies, and chronically skewed camera angles serve only as an obstruction to the performances and interviews. These techniques might have added to the film had they been used sparingly, but serve here only as a constant annoyance. She is credited as co-director, so perhaps she should have entrusted the film solely to a more experienced filmmaker?

if you're looking for a concert DVD, skip this and pick up trust instead. but if you're looking for insight into the force known as ani difranco, then this is a great overview. along w/ some great live performances (my fav being a lovely version of "overlap" w/ a guest guitarist), there's lots of backstage, home-y footage, inc. a nice sequence where we see the song "slide" take shape and another where we see her mixing a song for a live recording. a real draw to this DVD is getting to see ani in many of her non-songwriting aspects, including her political interests, her role as producer and record label head, and her just plain goofiness. the DVD also includes a track from each artist on her label at the time. yes, a lot of the camera work is clearly amateur, but it helps add to the overall experience w/ its immediacy and friendliness, combining to give you a great picture of ani as a person. prob. not for casual fans, but a lot of good content. p.s. what's w/ the overreaction to the pot-smoking scene? she's not doing crack for pete's sake!

I like everyone else, heard Ani for the first time from a friend and immedatly fell in love with her fast acustic guitar, razor voice and lyrics, and strong messages (feminism, political activism...ect.) And once you are an Ani fan, you really become an Ani fan. You spend every pay check on C.D.s and music DVDs to get a little closer to the tough independent folk singer. And everyone wants to know what Ani is going to sing about next.

I picked up "Render" because of the previously stated comments above. I read other reviews on amazon, and I'll tell you the truth to the very biased reviews. (They are either I LOVE IT or IT SUCKS!)

First of all, this DVD is more of a documentary than anything. If you want a concert of Ani, I suggest you get "Trust." It goes into Ani's life on the road with her friends and what not. You get to see many Righteous Babe Artists preforming and chilling with Ani. (Best scene is with Bitch and Animal...total sexism) Each scene is a song that Ani is preforming, but in the prefomance, is clips of her hanging out. Ani speaks her beliefs on politics, feminism, homosexuality, capital punishment, racism...ect, everything Ani writes and sings about.

The review that said Ani was mean to her fans and said she was a druggie, is not really true. Ani tells her fans, not yells at her fans, for singing along with her music because her music is a very emotional experience for her, and for the fans to sing along and make it into a "scoccor chant" is a bit degrading to her art. (As a poet and writer I understand.) Also, Ani just smokes a joint and makes a joke about it. Not that big of a deal, but it does get me wondering about her song "Come Away From It".....hummm.

So in the end, if you LOVE Ani like H-Core style, get "Render." It's not a concert, but an artistic documentary with concert tid bits. If you like Ani's music, but don't really care to watch her hang with friends for 2 hours, don't get it. Just go out and get "Trust." This is for H-Core Ani fans only.

I watched Render on a recent flight from Mpls to LA and the trip has never gone so fast. This film is for anyone who has ever wondered what it's really like back stage, and for anyone who has ever wondered where Ani's fuel for the fire of her political beliefs and songwriting comes from. You'll even catch a glimpse of her road-worn art and word filled journal. This is one film you'll want to see again and again because it's so multilayered. Buy it today - you won't be sorry.