TIFF ‘08 Preview: It Might Get Loud

Deep down inside, I’ve always had the desire to be a guitar god, to slap on a six-string and drive people wild with catchy melodies, mind-blowing sheets of noise, and/or virtuosic solos (and I think that’s the case for any guy under the age of 40, and probably most girls as well). It’s the reason I’m guilty of countless fits of air guitar, during which I launch into a furious pantomime that to anyone else would look absolutely ridiculous. Of course, I don’t care — I’m in rock n’ roll dream mode.

Not surprisingly, It Might Get Loud immediately caught my eye. The rock documentary is all about the electric guitar, arguably the most influential musical instrument of this past century. But rather than take you on a tour of the instrument’s history, the film brings together three men who are masters of the instrument in their own right: Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), The Edge (U2), and Jack White (The White Stripes). The three men retrace their history with the instrument, look back on previous inspirations for some of their most famous songs, and even get together for a jam session or two.

Of course, Twitch’s Todd Brown has already seen it, and while he’s not necessarily ga-ga over the film, he does give it high marks, saying:

It Might Get Loud suffers a touch from a lack of focus, it could use a more pointed approach to its material. But then again, had it gone that route it would very likely have lost most of the casual intimacy that is its greatest strength and that would be a shame. So while it’s hard not to wish for a bit more it’s also hard to knock it for being what it is.

Check out It Might Get Loud’s official TIFF entry here.