Having played hundreds of gigs myself, I found One-Trick Pony to not only be a realistic view of a musician's battle between eating and integrity, but it was also a true glimpse into the music business from a musician's point of view. It highlighted the contradiction between the drive to perform and the need to compromise in order to make a living.
From an acting standpoint, I felt Paul Simon and the other actors did a really great job capturing the feeling of performing, and being on the road. I felt their point was not necessarily to entertain you, but make you feel like you were part of the grind. This movie has a much deeper message than it seems to at first.
Add to that the musical performances, and you have a wonderful mix of emotions that truly portrays what a musician's experiences can be like. These musical sequences were beautifully filmed and edited with care. Check them out compared to a music video to see the difference between a marketing piece and true collaboration. This is not intended to knock videos, but the whole film is about the difference between authentic musicianship and Top-40 spectacle.
From an acting standpoint, I felt Paul Simon and the other actors did a really great job capturing the feeling of performing, and being on the road. I felt their point was not necessarily to entertain you, but make you feel like you were part of the grind. This movie has a much deeper message than it seems to at first.
Add to that the musical performances, and you have a wonderful mix of emotions that truly portrays what a musician's experiences can be like. These musical sequences were beautifully filmed and edited with care. Check them out compared to a music video to see the difference between a marketing piece and true collaboration. This is not intended to knock videos, but the whole film is about the difference between authentic musicianship and Top-40 spectacle.