American Utopia review: A life-affirming film from David Byrne and Spike Lee - Polygon

The film version of Byrne’s Broadway show is just wonderful.

American Utopia, a filmed version of Byrne’s Broadway show (which was based on a concert tour, based on a studio album), features Byrne and a band of musicians, all dressed in grey suits, but with bare feet.

The show takes the audience through songs from the album of the same name, as well as past songs from Byrne’s oeuvre, with a show-stopping rendition of Janelle Monáe’s protest song “Hell You Talmbout.” The songs are broken up by occasional monologues from Byrne, who ruminates on everything from growing older to the work of the novelist and activist James Baldwin.

At that point, Byrne and Lee aren’t just out to show the audience a good time; they’re trying to spur people into action.

Lee showcases the performance in a way that’s only possible through film, transforming his version of American Utopia from a secondhand experience into an entirely new beast.

Even for those unfamiliar with Byrne’s work, the film feels urgent and joyous, as the performers, following Annie-B Parson’s choreography, caper and cavort across the stage.

The songs aren’t narrative, at least not in the explicit way they would be in a traditional musical, but their themes form a shape in Byrne’s hands, coalescing around the conflict that seems so prevalent in present-day America, and the necessity to be kind to each other, and to do the work to create a better tomorrow.