Songs About Fucking is a documentary playing at Tribeca 2023 by director James Gallagher. It’s a musical documentary that follows the “artist, showman, and robe-clad raconteur Marc Rebillet” as he embarks on tour just at the end of the global lockdown. One’s enjoyment of the documentary will largely be impacted by their connection – or lack thereof-with Rebillet and his friends, as they go city to city.
Even at just over 90 minutes, this documentary overstays its welcome. There are several moments that feel like they belong on the cutting room floor. While one may feel the juxtaposition of the chaotic stage performances to the quiet moments on the bus that are designed to show the duality of the performer, its impact is not at all. Shots of the passing landscape through the windows on the bus don’t serve to tell this story, or to show the passage of time – rather they feel as if they are here to pad the run time. The oddly tiny aspect ratio used for many of the home movies of Rebillet never really adds much, nor does it feel fully functional in helping shape the man the film is following. A missed opportunity seems to be not really capturing the problems or the anxiety of when the tour starts, or what is going on given the post-Lockdown aspect of it all. Not to say that it isn’t there – but it doesn’t feel as present, as one would expect.
The highlight of the documentary is all of the performance elements. Whether or not you like Rebillet’s music and style, his ability to entertain the audience is undeniable. This is captured quite well in the documentary, which is likely why the other moments feel so unnecessary by comparison. Most of his music is complete improvisation, minus a few songs that really landed for his fans. That means every show is a reaction to the moment and can go any number of ways – which the documentary is able to capture quite well. It is in these moments that the documentary is captivating, and manages to demonstrate why a deeper probe into Rebillet’s process could be the compelling subject matter of a movie. That is, unfortunately, what also makes the film disappointing by the end.
Songs About Fucking isn’t the breakthrough documentary it could have been. Rebillet has a clear presence that’ll either grab the audience and pull them in compelling them to watch, or kick them in the nuts and leave them squirming in pain as they look up at the screening wondering what they did to deserve this. For me, it was mostly the latter, as I found most of Rebillet’s behavior to be a performance rather than an insight into the man. The old idea of the mere act of observation changes the outcome feels appropriate for so many of the “candid” moments of this documentary. Then again, Rebillet is of the generation that is always “on” camera – and it shows.
Songs About Fucking premieres at Tribeca on June 10.
Rating: Not a Total Waste of Time
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