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.
"[F]or fans of Simon, Alex Gibney’s two-part doc [...] should serve as a healthy diagnostic on a pop music icon—comprehensible, digestible, and chock-a-block with more than a half century of the man’s stamp on pop culture. It’s his “Eras Tour,” basically."
— Clint Worthington
"The film is mostly marvelous: a documentary that every Paul Simon fan on earth should want to see and experience."
— Owen Gleiberman
The definitive musical biography of Paul Simon, one of the greatest songwriters (and performers) in the history of rock 'n roll.
Using never-before-seen footage and interviews, this two-part documentary simultaneously looks back at Paul Simon’s iconic past and impressive present.
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.
Just what I needed, another excuse to rewatch The Graduate for the nth time.
