The Sparks Brothers

Throughout Edgar Wright’s marvelous documentary The Sparks Brothers, I kept waiting for someone to inform viewers that the film was an elaborate ruse. I say this because, despite the parade of famous fans who adore the long-running and prolific band Sparks, I didn’t recognize a single song from the many included in the film — and still have yet to find a fellow music nerd friend who’s familiar with the group’s work on even a basic level.

An artist of Wright’s talents could certainly arrange for a catalog of fake music and digitally create convincing archival footage and photos from the past 50 years, resulting in a new kind of cinematic prank that plays something like the intersection of This is Spinal Tap and Exit Through the Gift Shop. Fun as that prospect would be — heck, Rolling Thunder Revue was also marketed as non-fiction — I’ll take his word and that of Beck, Jason Schwartzman, Amy Sherman-Palladino, and others that they’re a legit entity.

While I still can’t name a single Sparks song and certainly can’t hum one, this well-made film made me a fan of real-life brothers Ron and Russell Mael as people and creators, and at least helped me respect their music.

The band is something akin to prototypes for Queen (but borderline allergic to catchy songwriting) and interviewee/supporter Weird Al (minus the dialed-in humor), and, in his thoroughness, Wright perhaps unintentionally makes it clear why Sparks has yet to break through in the U.S. after all these years, and most definitely intentionally crafts a case for their cult-favorite status.

Along with his informative, humane storytelling, Wright digs into his bag of creative cinematic tricks and employs a variety of animation styles to keep the visuals fresh. His decision to use B&W for the talking head interviews likewise proves engaging, and funneled through the director’s textbook rapid-fire editing, The Sparks Brothers sustains viewer investment for 140 zippy minutes.

Grade: A-minus. Rated R. Available to rent via Amazon Video, Apple TV, and other services.

(Photo: Jake Polonsk/Focus Features)