The Angels: Kicking Down The Door Review
While The Angels: Kicking Down The Door starts off strong with a fantastic sense of whimsy, despite the trials and travails of a great Aussie band, this documentary ultimately suffers from a staid second half and the unfortunately unavoidable absence of deceased frontman Doc.
The Angels: Kicking Down The Door tells the story of famed Australian band The Angels; a band forever on the cusp on becoming global stars. The film charts their journey from inception to fame, then through a number of band breakups, reformations and dramas until present day.
The movie begins with a clear sense of visual identity, with cute little animations and cut out old photos of the band members dancing around on animated stick figures. Yet that visual flair dies out around half way through the film, and it reverts back to a very much standard documentary form. That’s a shame, because the start of the movie feels so much more alive by comparison.
At the same time, the early parts of the film are really interesting. The story of how this band came together is so fantastically Australian - so lackadaisical in nature - that it's hard not to smile. And indeed, as the band falls apart, the film hits home emotionally. In particular Doc’s untimely demise and pressures as frontman ring true.
The movie never shakes the impression, however, that it is being narratively guided by the two brothers, Rick and John Brewster. Their story of brotherly love and collaboration, tainted by fame and drugs to separation, and ultimate reunion, is a good one, but it forces out the perspectives of other band members who disagree with their interpretation of events.
Ultimately, while this is an intriguing portrait of an Aussie band that is undoubtedly worth your time, it suffers too heavily from the absence of its frontman. Doc’s story is far and away the most interesting on screen, and the film is too busy with the living members of the band to make it as front and center as it should be.
