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By James Renovitch, Fri., March 19, 2010

SXSW Film

Ride, Rise, Roar

Documentary Feature, 24 Beats Per Second
D: David Hillman Curtis; with David Byrne

From his days of writing songs about food and buildings to his more recent forays into visual art, the former Talking Heads frontman rarely bores anyone watching. That would bode well for Ride, Rise, Roar, a document of Byrne's latest tour. What doesn't bode well is the fact that its predecessor is Jonathan Demme's concert classic Stop Making Sense, and that's a big suit to fill. RRR doesn't have the buildup and catharsis of SMS, but Byrne's love of music and giddy pleasure in the live setting is still apparent, if slightly matured. The dozen or so songs – culled largely from Talking Heads-era and recent collaborations with Brian Eno – are some of his best. The interstitial interviews and rehearsals don't offer much in the way of insight, but they break up Byrne's contagious energy into palatable chunks.

Thursday, March 18, noon, Paramount; Saturday, March 20, 5pm, G-Tech

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