Avis des critiques

Wright's debut documentary may seem a shift from his long career of modern screwball comedy, but he's almost accidentally perfect, channeling his own obsession with the understatedly quirky band into a pitch-perfect examination of their anti-commercial but eternally beloved career.

while Sparks fans certainly shouldn’t miss "The Sparks Brothers," they likely won’t learn much they don’t already know... The film portrays Sparks the way many people who love the band see them.

The film suffers from a nearly two-and-and-a-half–hour runtime, likely because Wright is such a fan that he didn’t want to leave anything out... Ultimately, though, "The Sparks Brothers" makes a strong case for the duo’s musical greatness.

From Wright's music video "Blue Song" to "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," this film feels like a natural progression of his career... Ron and Russell Mael are a thrill to watch, and their on-screen wit plays well with Wright’s renowned sense of humor. In turn, Wright’s surreal visual sensibility plays well with the oddity that is Sparks.

Wright, the virtuoso director of “Shaun of the Dead” and “Baby Driver,” among others, and an ace soundtrack assembler, is uniquely suited to make this tribute. Both director and band revel in formal play. Their eccentricity doesn’t entirely shut out earnestness.

If you care about Sparks, this movie is heaven... If you don’t know about Sparks, Wright has created an introduction that gleefully demolishes any barrier you might think you have toward their music.

At almost 2½ hours, “The Sparks Brothers” occasionally feels like an overlong, hyperkinetic catalogue raisonne; it would have benefited from a few darlings being whacked. But the overindulgence will be easily forgiven, for die-hard fans and newcomers alike.

Wright’s campaign is at least partially stymied by its bloat. At 140 minutes, "The Sparks Brothers" eventually wears out its welcome... Eventually, [the film] begins to resemble a zealous fan going on too long about their pet darling at the expense of any case they might be making.

Just as Martin Scorsese’s Bob Dylan documentaries upend the hidebound rules of the music documentary by stylistically reflecting Dylan’s mercurial spirit, so, too, does "The Sparks Brothers" embody the idiosyncratic, tongue-in-cheek sensibilities of its subjects.

Accentuated by smart insights from collaborators, celebrity fans and fellow musicians, the documentary is as deeply affectionate as Sparks’ songs are catchy and offbeat.

"The Sparks Brothers >"runs a whopping two hours and 15 minutes, though it feels as fleet as a three-minute pop song. OK, maybe a four-minute pop song—but this grand, big-little film leaves you wanting more of Sparks, not less. If you’ve only sort-of heard of Sparks, "The Sparks Brothers" is a great place to begin. If you’re already a fan, you’ll go nuts for it

This is a film that loves its subjects and only someone with a biological revulsion to catchy pop or grand rock theatrics will dislike [it]. For most, Sparks is uncharted territory. Luckily there’s a lot to explore.