July Talk: Love Lives Here is, for better or worse, a unique music documentary. Filmed (mostly) in black and white, it leans into an art-house-adjacent style that feels appropriate for the Canadian alt-rock band. Its story of the one-of-a-kind, social-distancing drive-in concert is told through a collage of behind-the-scenes clips, live performances, voice-overs, and on-screen quotes. It's different — an uneven, slow-paced documentary, but charming, nonetheless.
Back in 2020, July Talk were faced with a predicament: the group's new album Pray for It was set for release in July 2020 — the first in several years — but COVID-19 meant the album tour was postponed indefinitely. While everyone around the world was collectively watching and waiting for the pandemic the end, July Talk opted to meet the unprecedented circumstances with an unprecedented show. It would be a live concert, held at the Stardust Drive-In Theatre in Sharon, ON, wherein the audience would stay in their vehicles, hopefully keeping everyone safe (and, as the band put it, avoiding a "superspreader" situation). It was a compromise, sure — but it was also a bit of a social experiment.
July Talk: Love Lives Here is directed by Brittany Farhat, a Lebanese-Canadian filmmaker whose background is specific to film production for the music industry. There are moments where this background shines through; interesting angles and dynamic framing are sprinkled throughout. Love Lives Here is filmed in the same high-contrast, black-and-white aesthetic found on the Pray for It album art, which both makes sense (synergy!) and also feels a bit cheap. There's a fine line between artistic and pretentious. The footage from the actual drive-in concert is the film's highlight; one of the ending scenes is a genuinely stunning drone shot that captures the surreal beauty of the moment.
As is often the case with music documentaries, it's not necessary to be an existing fan to enjoy and learn from the film, but it certainly helps. People familiar with July Talk will get more out of the content; the band is known for its live performances, and the chaotic, high-energy vibe does not translate fully in this format. Love Lives Here makes a point to cover the group's past gruelling tour schedule and to discuss how important live shows are to July Talk's ethos, but this can only do so much. Watching clips of a concert just doesn't compare to being there in person, feeling the intimacy of the moment and the energy of the room. July Talk isn't a stadium band — they play the Danforth, not Scotiabank Arena. And they put on a hell of a show.
Where Love Lives Here falters is in telling a coherent, compelling story across its 80-minute runtime. The first half deals with the background context and concert planning, while the second half is predominantly footage from the actual show. The resulting juxtaposition makes the first 40 minutes feel drawn out and the last 40 minutes truncated. There's a lot of build-up to a concert that the audience only gets a taste of. At the very least, it ends on a high note — maybe there is something to be said about leaving your viewer wanting more.
(levelFILM)Back in 2020, July Talk were faced with a predicament: the group's new album Pray for It was set for release in July 2020 — the first in several years — but COVID-19 meant the album tour was postponed indefinitely. While everyone around the world was collectively watching and waiting for the pandemic the end, July Talk opted to meet the unprecedented circumstances with an unprecedented show. It would be a live concert, held at the Stardust Drive-In Theatre in Sharon, ON, wherein the audience would stay in their vehicles, hopefully keeping everyone safe (and, as the band put it, avoiding a "superspreader" situation). It was a compromise, sure — but it was also a bit of a social experiment.
July Talk: Love Lives Here is directed by Brittany Farhat, a Lebanese-Canadian filmmaker whose background is specific to film production for the music industry. There are moments where this background shines through; interesting angles and dynamic framing are sprinkled throughout. Love Lives Here is filmed in the same high-contrast, black-and-white aesthetic found on the Pray for It album art, which both makes sense (synergy!) and also feels a bit cheap. There's a fine line between artistic and pretentious. The footage from the actual drive-in concert is the film's highlight; one of the ending scenes is a genuinely stunning drone shot that captures the surreal beauty of the moment.
As is often the case with music documentaries, it's not necessary to be an existing fan to enjoy and learn from the film, but it certainly helps. People familiar with July Talk will get more out of the content; the band is known for its live performances, and the chaotic, high-energy vibe does not translate fully in this format. Love Lives Here makes a point to cover the group's past gruelling tour schedule and to discuss how important live shows are to July Talk's ethos, but this can only do so much. Watching clips of a concert just doesn't compare to being there in person, feeling the intimacy of the moment and the energy of the room. July Talk isn't a stadium band — they play the Danforth, not Scotiabank Arena. And they put on a hell of a show.
Where Love Lives Here falters is in telling a coherent, compelling story across its 80-minute runtime. The first half deals with the background context and concert planning, while the second half is predominantly footage from the actual show. The resulting juxtaposition makes the first 40 minutes feel drawn out and the last 40 minutes truncated. There's a lot of build-up to a concert that the audience only gets a taste of. At the very least, it ends on a high note — maybe there is something to be said about leaving your viewer wanting more.