Reaction: HERE IS WHAT IS

There are two types of “Rock Docs”: the linear and the creative. The linear is by far the most popular – soundbites and interviews stitched with still images of album covers and chords of greatest hits (for example THE USA VS JOHN LENNON). Then there is the creative – the type of film where the filmmaker has thought long and hard about their subject, and wants to transpose their work into another medium. Not only that, they want this transposition to become a work that stands completely on its own, and doesn’t rely on the notoriety of the subject. KURT COBAIN: ABOUT A SON is this type of documentary. So is HERE IS WHAT IS (* * * 1/2).

The film is about musician and producer Daniel Lanois. It doesn’t waste too much time on the “I was born, I grew up” story, and instead dives right into the creative mind of this very gifted musician. The film is arty, but not in a way that strikes of over indulgence. There are cameos by Brian Eno, Garth Hudson, Sinead O’Connor, and U2…but they are just that – cameos. None of them address the camera, and they are only there to show how Lanois works and communicates with each one.

One moment that stood out for me was a conversation between Lanois and Eno, where Eno speaks about how great creative things can come out of nothing…and how it’s up to the individual to find it within them self, even if the individual thinks there isn’t much there to begin with. The thought struck a chord with me, and interestingly the sequence was shot by Anton Corbijn. Go figure.

HERE IS WHAT IS plays like installation art. I wondered going in, how footage of a producer could be interesting. Sometimes watching someone produce a recording is like watching someone write a novel. But the one sequence that does focus on Lanois, The Producer is amazing, and truly fascinating. It’s short, sweet and to the point – and it’s one of the best “Rock Docs” I’ve seen.

One last thing – I want to extend full congratulations to co-director of the film Adam Vollick. He was a college classmate of mine, and someone who’s work I always respected and admired. The fact that I knew him didn’t weigh on my reaction to the film, perhaps the opposite. After seeing HERE IS WHAT IS, I am proud to say “I knew him when…”.

The film plays twice more (Tuesday afternoon at The Scotiabank, Friday night at Varsity).