David Byrne’s American Utopia

When David Byrne turned his 2018 album ‘American Utopia’ into a Broadway show, it received rapturous reviews and sold-out houses. Now you can see (and hear!) Spike Lee’s gorgeously visual rendition of the performance as Byrne and an army of back-up singers and dancers perform some 20 songs, including old Talking Heads favourites like ‘Burning Down the House’, ‘Road to Nowhere’ and ‘Once in a Lifetime’. And be prepared to be surprised: during his between-song chatter, Byrne reveals himself to be a very funny guy! Who knew?

‘Spike Lee joins forces with David Byrne for a joyous concert movie that rocks and delights, sending you high and then higher… It’s a handsome, intelligently visual entertainment — you want to watch and not just listen — [and] it has a comforting intimacy… Some filmed stage shows die on the screen from a sheer lack of visual energy and invention. Lee, a master of the art, uses cinema’s plasticity to complement this production, making it come alive in two dimensions… “American Utopia” flows beautifully…’—Manohla Dargis, The New York Times