This overview was initially a part of our protection for the 2022 Toronto Worldwide Movie Competition.
Fifteen years after Stroll Arduous: The Dewey Cox Story, musical biopics nonetheless haven’t realized their lesson, and if movies like Bohemian Rhapsody and this yr’s Elvis have confirmed something, it’s that such a movie nonetheless wants a satire that factors out their inherent goofiness and exhausted tropes. There’s no higher individual for the job than “Bizarre Al” Yankovic, a person who constructed his profession on parody, and whose private biopic couldn’t assist however be slightly, nicely, bizarre. Co-written by Yankovic and co-writer/director Eric Appel, Bizarre: The Al Yankovic Story is the “true” story of Yankovic’s life and profession, from his rebellious polka party-loving youth to his wild and quick romance with Madonna (Evan Rachel Wooden), and all of the bologna in between.
Not surprisingly, Bizarre: The Al Yankovic Story is in its prime when it’s lampooning musical biopics at giant. Bizarre begins with a younger Yankovic, whose dad and mom Nick and Mary Yankovic (Toby Huss and Julianne Nicholson) consider that it might be greatest if Al would “cease being who you might be, and doing stuff you love.” Al hides his love for comedy, and his life fully modifications when a door-to-door accordion salesman delivers the instrument that can be integral to his success.
As soon as Al (now performed by Daniel Radcliffe) will get to school, and he’s free from his guardian’s watchful eyes, he can embrace his love of parody songwriting, turning The Knack’s “My Sharona” into “My Bologna,” and shortly turning into a large in a single day musical success, because of the help of his mentor Dr. Demento (Rainn Wilson). However although it looks like Al’s star will at all times shine brightly, he’s confronted with the dangerous affect of Madonna, the need to please his dad and mom, and even a visit down to go to Pablo Escobar (Arturo Castro).
For essentially the most half, Bizarre: The Al Yankovic Story performs like a collection of sketches centered across the musician’s life, and fortunately, nearly all of these sketches work. Timing and details and fact are all thrown out the window in an try to simply have enjoyable with the idea, but Bizarre nonetheless works greatest when it’s additionally a parody. For instance, one scene options Yankovic proving himself at a Boogie Nights-esque pool get together, thrown by Dr. Demento. We’ve seen such a scene earlier than in biopics, the place the newcomer has to show themselves to his friends, but right here, it’s so gleefully over-the-top, filled with an absurd quantity of cameos and jokes that any semblance of actuality is totally irrelevant. Spoiling the cameos would take away a significant a part of Bizarre’s enjoyable, however just about each scene contains at the least one shock look, and it by no means will get previous all through the movie’s runtime.
But the additional Bizarre: The Al Yankovic Story strikes away from the biopic parody, the extra it falters. A lot of the second act focuses on the connection between Al and Madonna, and whereas each Wooden and Radcliffe are having a ball of their scenes collectively, their time collectively goes in a route that veers slightly too removed from the biopic components. Sure, Madonna is right here to characterize the inevitable debaucherous downfall of our star, however the path this concept goes down is enjoyable on paper, however by no means fairly goes far sufficient. This deviation midway via can be the one time that Bizarre: The Al Yankovic Story begins to expire of steam and its runtime could be felt. Regardless of all that, the Al and Madonna’s story is actually stuff enjoyable, however it does really feel like a means for this story to go to an excessive that it by no means absolutely embraces—even whether it is fairly ridiculous.
However the best pleasure of Bizarre: The Al Yankovic Story is watching Radcliffe as “Bizarre Al,” full with outsized glasses, curly hair, and Hawaiian shirts. Radcliffe is totally recreation for…regardless of the hell that is, but additionally reveals a real love for Yankovic’s work and profession, and a real appreciation for this comedic legend. This appreciation for Yankovic permeates all of this movie’s performances, from Wooden’s corrupting presence to Huss and Nicholson completely nailing the unsure parental figures wanting down on their son’s selection in profession. This is perhaps a parody, positive, however it additionally appears like an exuberant appreciation of this man and his comedic brilliance. What higher solution to honor Al than to be slightly bizarre?
All through Bizarre: The Al Yankovic Story, Al says that he may not be the most effective accordion participant, however he may simply be essentially the most well-known accordion participant in an especially particular style of music. Bizarre may not be the most effective biopic parody (Stroll Arduous nonetheless holds that crown), however it’s a completely charming and infrequently hilarious take a look at the world’s best parody musician, filled with a wonderful forged that desires to pay tribute to this bizarre man. Bizarre dares to be silly and succeeds due to it.
Ranking: B
Bizarre: The Al Yankovic Story involves The Roku Channel on November 4.
