Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – Film Review
When I read that parody singer “Weird Al” Yankovic was getting the biopic treatment, I knew it wouldn’t be a traditional biographical movie and I was right – this is a very silly film that pokes fun in music biopics.
The movie tells the “life story” of comedy singer and accordion player Al Yankovic (played by Daniel Radcliffe) and covers his childhood, his rise to fame, his encounter with Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood) and chart dominance in the ’80s with parodies like Eat It and My Bologna.
This biopic is as unconventional and bonkers as its subject, who appears in the movie as label executive Tony Scotti. Just like Weird Al’s songs, this movie is a parody of music biopics and is very loosely inspired by Al’s genuine story. It hits all the familiar (although fictional) beats – the troubled childhood, falling out with the band, the alcohol problem, the fling with the famous singer and the epiphany that makes him clean up his act. Some aspects seemed real but exaggerated – although I learned through later research they were made up – but others are so ridiculous and OTT (like a full-blown John Wick-style action scene) that you know they’re fake straight away.
Weird was written by Yankovic himself and director Eric Appel (who works with the comedy organisation Funny or Die) so it’s no surprise that it’s hilarious. I laughed out loud a lot and found it endlessly amusing. The tone is so tongue-in-cheek and hammed up, even right from the beginning, so you know immediately not to take it seriously. It lost me a little during Al’s “dark times” because the gags disappeared for a while but they thankfully made a comeback.
It helps if you know some or all of Weird Al’s songs because there are certain scenes which tee up a tune and it’s more entertaining if you know what song’s about to come up. For example, I didn’t know about his song Fat and at one point, his mother (Julianne Nicholson) appears in a fatsuit, presumably to set up the tune. However, whether this was an editing mistake or just a knowing wink to the fans, we never get the song and the fatsuit is pointless and ill-judged.
The score adds to the comedy factor. Appel uses sincere, heartfelt music that you would usually find in serious, conventional biopics. I started to chuckle every time this stirring, emotive music came in because it was so at odds with the images on the screen.
I am endlessly fascinated by Radcliffe’s choices post-Potter and this feels perfect for him. I absolutely loved seeing him with Al’s signature moustache, curly hair, Hawaiian shirt and accordion on his chest. He doesn’t look much like Al but he doesn’t need to in this make-believe parody. He looks like he’s having the best time, as does Wood as Madonna in full Desperately Seeking Susan garb. She gets to do some very interesting things with the character. There are also a bunch of amazing cameos to keep an eye out for.
Weird is a ridiculous and riotously funny biopic that takes the truth with a pinch of salt. Highly entertaining stuff.
Streaming on The ROKU Channel from Friday 4th November. You can download The ROKU Channel for free on your ROKU device, Smart TV, Amazon Fire Stick and more.