BIFF: Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon

by Katia Nizic 09 November 2011 16:47 Filmink Festival Coverage

Given the band's intriguing rags to riches story, this doco fails to scratch beneath the inflated egos of the four Southern rockers...

Touted as the documentary effort that examines the Kings of Leon phenomenon and unearths their roots, Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon is a meandering puff-piece from a close friend of the band, Stephen C. Mitchell. This choice is detrimental to a film that had the potential to be genuinely riveting (well, for fans of the band), or at the very least, watchable.

Talihina Sky does indeed track the beginnings of the band, from their strict upbringing as sons of a preacher in the Evangelical South, their childhood and early signs of musical talent, as well as subsequent formation and success as a band.

However, the film simply fails to deliver anything more than a moderately juicy, mildly interesting snapshot of a band that frankly, kind of seem like assholes in real life. At least, that's what the evidence here would suggest. Just watch them fight over the volume of their parts like three-year olds; or, perhaps witness one of them lounging in their first class airplane seat as they laugh and point at the drug penalty warning on their Singaporean immigration card, showing complete ignorance of the world around them.

While it should be acknowledged that the Followill brothers did grow up the dirt poor sons of a preacher and their story does have a classic rags to riches element, this doesn't necessarily mean that they're worthy of your sympathy. The to-camera interviews do little to convince audiences that these young men are anything but snide, inconsiderate, and vastly uninteresting people, aside from their musical talent.

Shooting during the lead up to their annual family reunion, which the filmmakers use as the main narrative thread to which all segments of the documentary must come back to, does not pique sufficient interest. The camera chooses to follow a relative of the band in the lead-up to the reunion, laughing at him and his Southern accent rather than with him, in a childish attempt to bring out a comedic angle. Furthermore, the documentary format itself is used as an excuse for lazy filmmaking, sloppy, jittery camera work and generally muddy visuals.

An unfortunate entry into the otherwise stellar BIFFDOCS program, Talihina Sky contains no discernible message and does not appear to be working toward any clear purpose as a film. In an even bigger omission, the film fails to interest in the musical sense — for a documentary about a band, the musical sequences and insight into their craft are fewer than the band's combined, functioning brain cells.

Talihina Sky will be released in Australia on DVD.

To check out the full program or for further details about the festival running 3 -13 November, please head here.