Coming to HBO tonight, Monday, December 9: SIX BY SONDHEIM
James Lapine’s profile of the acclaimed composer and lyricist makes its debut as the final film in the HBO Docs Fall series.
Frequent collaborator Lapine joins with critic Frank Rich as executive producer to trace Sondheim’s career and talent, foregoing the standard parade of talking heads gushing about his genius to instead construct a decades-spanning interview with the man himself, culled from archival appearances and newly shot material. Supplementing this footage, in which Sondheim both relates autobiographical details and, more fascinatingly, details his creative process, are the titular set pieces that are meant to be the film’s selling point – a half dozen of his songs, from his Broadway debut WEST SIDE STORY, to his biggest mainstream hit, “Send in the Clowns.” Three of these performances are from past stagings or excerpts from other work, like DA Pennebaker’s COMPANY, while the others are brand-new, serving as an excuse to recruit performers like Darren Criss, America Ferrara, and even Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker (as directed by Todd Haynes). While these re-stagings add some variety, singling out these six songs feels fairly arbitrary, given the breadth of Sondheim’s work, and the inclusion of celebrities somewhat unnecessary in the face of the copious amount of past footage on hand. That said, for a viewer like myself, with virtually zero interest in musicals, the project is laudably accessible, with Sondheim concisely and engagingly able to articulate the fundamentals of his approach to craft, making this worthwhile viewing for a broader audience than one might expect.
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