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In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon

In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon

In this definitive documentary, Paul Simon’s poignant and poetic musicality swells to great heights

7.3

TV Show

United States of America
English
Documentary, Music
2024
ALEX GIBNEY
Art Garfunkel, Edie Brickell, Lorne Michaels
219 min

TLDR

Just what I needed, another excuse to rewatch The Graduate for the nth time.

What it's about

Using never-before-seen footage and interviews, this two-part documentary simultaneously looks back at Paul Simon’s iconic past and impressive present.

The take

In Restless Dreams is comprised of two parts. The first, a walk down memory lane, will likely be everyone’s favorite. It stitches old clips of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, way back when the two performed as the doo-wop band Tom and Jerry in the ‘50s, and follows Simon all the way to England and back in the US for most of the ‘60s when he wrote classics like The Sound of Silence and Mrs. Robinson. This is brought to life by wonderful editing, the thoughtful and tasteful kind that makes you sigh in awe and go, at peak moments, “Oh, so that’s what that song is about!” It supplements Simon’s narration which, thankfully, isn’t too on the nose. The second part follows 80-year-old Simon in the present as he tries to realize a dream of a song he’s had, called Seven Psalms. Witnessing an artist as gifted as Simon still chip away at his craft isn’t just inspiring; it feels like a sacred treat, a special and almost intrusive look into the inner workings of a musical genius.

What stands out

I’m sorry to be so basic, but I adored The Graduate section of the documentary. Simon writing Mrs. Robinson on the spot, live-to-picture, and the editors matching scenes of the film with Simon’s lyrics, both reflective of young adult apathy and despair, is just *chef’s kiss* levels of satisfying.

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