Customer Reviews

Speaking For Trees: A Film By Mark Borthwick

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

 

 

...and this is one of them. I'm a Cat Power fan & an experimental filmmaker, so I like to think I have a pretty high tolerance for avant-garde antics. This film was an interesting concept, but certainly not an original one by any means--the sticker on the disk itself mentions correlations to Warhol (Michael Snow also comes to mind).

I can appreciate the "anti-music video/anti-rock doc" approach (bad video, long enough angle that you can't see Chan's face, crickets chirping, etc), but the novelty wears off after ten minutes. Michael Snow could pull off the long take because there was eventually a climactic pay-off; Warhol pulled it off because he was the first (and, well, he was Warhol).

Bortwick is an excellent still photographer; it's a shame he can't translate that to motion pictures.

The sheer joy of basically having Chan play a 2 hour concert to an audience of you is profound to any fan of hers (the other 99% of the world will think it is boring and go watch TV). So stated, the film making is bad. It could at the very least be more "dynamic" - following her around instead of remaining static. I realize this may be hard to accomplish, but it would breath some life into it. As is, I watch a half hour of it while trying to fall asleep. A few closer shots of Chan would also be nice.

Some of the "experimental" cinematic effects are just plain bad, like the playing with the brightness and contrast. It just adds nothing, and it isn't in synch with the music/singing.

The sound mixing is also bad. Guitar needs to come down some, vocals up some. While it is usually hard to understand what Chan is singing under perfect studio conditions, all I could pick out was something vaguely resembling her songs.

Her voice is her power, let it speak.

Still, the 2 hour content and the CD make it a very worthwhile investment for a serious Cat Power fan, and reasonably priced.

I love Cat Power, but this CD/DVD is a real disappointment. The music is okay, but the video is awful. The whole "Chan in nature" thing falls flat. It looks like they filmed it in the parking lot of a city park. Probably the worst are the three "music videos." If Mark Borthwick is an artist I'm sure he'll be a starving one. His filmmaking style is sadly lacking. Anybody, and I mean anybody, with a video camera could come up with something more compelling than this drivel.

Two stars because the music is marginally enjoyable. 0 stars for the video. Blech.

I am a huge Cat Power fan but I have to say that I was extremely disappointed with this film!! First of all, the camera never moves!!! No pans, no zooming in or out--the entire film is way too stationary!! Chan is too far off in the distance to see any emotion. As the film continued to play I kept thinking, "okay, any minute there will be a scene change, something different will happen"--needless to say, I waited...and waited...and waited...............
then I realized the entire 2 hr film was that way. I finally gave up on waiting for something to happen and decided to clean my house and just listen to the music(which I love). I could've just popped in one of her cd's to get the same effect and save myself $25! I'm not a stickler with money but this was definately a waste!! I decided to open up the book that came with package and look at all of the pictures that I knew were in it. I thought "well, at least some cool pictures will make up for the lack of entertainment I recieved from the film"--well, to my surprise, the pictures were just stills from the film! I felt ripped off--I think from now on I will just stick with her cd's. I would not suggest anyone to BUY this film--if you're a fan then rent it first and make your decision after viewing it. All you would need to do is watch the first minute or two of the film and you've already seen the whole 2 hrs. If you feel like you're going to miss anything musically then just put in the cd that came with it. It's a good cd(it's just an audio recording of the film) but it's not worth $25.

I'm a big fan of Chan Marshall, have all her records and seen her play live. Was really looking forward to this and popped it in the the dvd player...and didn't even finish it..just fast forwarded through the thing..which was actually more interesting to look at than the film at regular speed. This idea is nothing new and executed really poorly, like self conciously trying to be lousy or amaturish. I love her presence and music, especially her voice...but this just irratating and stupid film making.
Live she is very frustrating, stopping and starting so many times, giving inconsistant performances. People worship this artist and for good reason, but come on...put a little more effort into things. I guess you can't really blame her for the film since it's made by someone else, but obviously it's something she thinks it worthwhile. Anyway, her music as usual is awesome, but this concept and execution is boring. I won't even go see her live any more 'cause I can't take her approach there either...sad because I really do love her music.

In principle, the idea behind this video actually intrigued me; it's in the execution where it falls short. The thing that bothered me most: the crickets (background noise) and wind were often louder than Chan. While perhaps that might have been the intention to let some of nature's elements play a part, it doesn't work, as it washes Chan out too much. Chan is also shot at quite a distance, and even on my 36" tv, you can barely make her out. Again, I'm sure it is as intended, but it doesn't work well.

Haven't heard the CD yet, but most folks will be buying this for the DVD.

This DVD was extremely frustrating. It totally sucks. I got it thinking it would be really beautiful, but it looks like a home video, and Chan is standing a mile away from the camera. I would have found it alot more enjoyable if it was just a CD. That would be nice. But this DVD is not even worth your time.

One star because I'll probably only watch it once. And, I only made it through that time because it was playing on my computer, and I was doing other stuff while it was on.
It is an interesting idea - but it is only one idea, stretched over two hours.
It's still nice to hear the music. At least, you can hear most of the music. The microphone seems to pick up the insects as much as Chan's voice.

I love Cat Power, I truly do, but this DVD will really leave you wanting. Not for the lack of musical talent on display, but it is an experimental film in which nothing really happens. The sound and picture quality are perfectly acceptable - there is just so little going on, certainly not enough to hold a viewer's interest for the length of the film. Maybe when Cat Power releases another record and goes on tour, we could get an actual live tour performance on video. That would be interesting, and Chan Marshall remains a phenomenal talent. Frankly, I am quite surprised that a substantial record label like Matador would release such an inconsequential work of art. I normally look to the Matador symbol as a mark of quality, but this was a letdown.

over time this will receive the praise it deserves,much like the way it took years for many to "get" "Renaldo & Clara".Chan Marshall sounds just fine in Mark Bortwick's utterly unpretentious film.Even if the trees were the few
of the appreciative give this a try.Cat power shines here in a presentation we may not see the likes of again from this young & restless sojourner.Watch & listen more than once & you'll experience the obvious brilliance.
The CD & booklet make this a bargain all the more.People like this don't just come along often in pop culture