Gogol Bordello Non-Stop

Gogol Bordello Non-Stop

87 Minutes

A lovingly direct profile with a slightly bewitched personality, Gogol Bordello Non-Stop makes no attempt to hide its effusive love for its subject. This sense of obvious affection, while endearing, leaves it stuck in a limited space: reinforcement for the casual fan, education for the uninitiated and not much else.

The film catalogs the origins of the New York City band through tightly-framed interviews, many of these with magnetic front man Eugene Hutz. We learn of the singer’s migration from Kiev as a teenager, his integration into American society, his collecting of eccentric band members like strange curios picked up at a garage sale. It’s this journey that shapes the band’s signature style of “immigrant punk” and influences their wild stage show, leading them from basement clubs in the East Village to Conan O’Brien and beyond. Most of this information is provided by Hutz himself, and while he’s an engaging presence – eyes twinkling, mustache villainously waxed – the narrowness here also instills a Dear Leader-ish air of cultish fascination. The scrappy handheld shots and persistently lo-fi aesthetic (the Conan O’Brien performance, for example, is filmed off a television) further the feel of a homemade fan project.

Some attention is paid to the band’s place within the wider world. Most prominently, their fusing of tangentially related musical styles is presented as emblematic of the melting pot that shapes American immigrant identity. The scant attention paid to this motif is promising and, although sandwiched between long blocks of concert film, hints at the possibility of a better film. The best parts here are discussions with other immigrants, Slavic and otherwise, who view the band with a mixture of pride and bewilderment.

But there’s not enough of this perspective, and as a whole Non-Stop suffers from a severe lack of context. We hear from the band’s fans and its members, see clips of them drinking beer, on the road, in the studio, but there are few views from outside this bubble. A clip from a Russian newscast about their European tour is cut down to a snippet, a few quick words that mostly function as an establishing shot. The copious amounts of live footage further establish the aura of a “this band is awesome” highlight reel, and with such a tight focus it’s hard to view the larger implications of what we’re seeing.

These are limiting factors. But they don’t discount the film’s undeniable sense of passion, its engagement with its subject, its belief in music’s ability to break down borders. There’s certainly a place for these type of doting fan documentaries, especially one occupied by such an expressive character as Hutz, and while it doesn’t reveal much of substance about the band, but this passion is appealing in itself.

In the end, the appeal of Non-Stop directly hinges on your appreciation for the group. Although it may help make fans of many on the fence, this still leaves it a small movie, one that, although not totally satisfying, has a contagious tone of persistent excitement.

by Jesse Cataldo