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Gogol Bordello Non-Stop review
:. Director: Margarita Jimeno
:. Genre: Documentary
:. Running Time: 1:27
:. Year: 2008
:. Country: USA
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Rough around the edges and highly emblematic of theatrical gypsy punk vision of founder and lead singer Eugene Hutz, director Maragarita Jimeno's documentary Gogol Bordello Non-Stopchronicles the band's early years and covers their 2006 European tour.
From his humble, high energy beginnings in a Bulgarian bar in New York to playing festivals all over the world and scoring a lead in Madonna's feature length directorial debut in Filth and Wisdom, the exceedingly charismatic Hutz brought together a group of musicians who could play the music inside his head and add their dose of talent and lunacy: the result is a fusion of Gypsy music that Eastern Europeans hold sacred and punk that diehard fans can dance to. As a former refugee, "Immigrant Punk" is his Ukrainian version of "Clandestino". And by the way. Manu Chao makes a few appearances, from the early club days to a stop on the festival circuit. They are cut from the same cloth, these nomads who borrow and steal ingredients for their steaming cauldrons of refugee soup. Hutz also acknowledges that apart from crazy Eastern Europeans, Latinos are the fans who get his music.
Band members and fans are interviewed and recount how they were recruited. Highly entertaining, they all believe the dream. Watching Gogol Bordello tour around the US in a shitty van and knowing that now, years later, thousands more are arriving daily to their gypsy block parties. Jimeno has captured a band on the rise almost disarmingly innocent of their rise and who genuinely enjoy playing together.
Unfortunately though, the documentary veers on the lengthy side and there isn't enough steak to go with the sizzle. Some interviews could have been edited or better guided and some of the footage is just too blurry for the big screen. For fans though, this can't be missed.
Anji Milanovic
 Documentary Reviews: 1998 - 2011
Documentary Reviews: 2012 - present
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