If two years after ‘Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga’ (whose title I will summarize from now on) we continue to recognize ‘Haha, ding dong’ It’s like an involuntary anthem that the film has gone down in history for perfectly encapsulating the festival itself: it’s silly, it’s catchy, it’s tacky and it makes you spend two hours believing that the world is beautiful and full of absurdly danceable songs. In the only year in history that Eurovision failed us, Will Ferrell came to our rescue.
Ha ha, ding dong!
Books and books could be written about why we in Europe forget all our problems for one night and come together to listen to 25 songs and vote for each other while making memes on Twitter. The Americans, of course, are so fascinated for the theme that they have mounted their own crappy Eurovision (which, in an act of rebellion and absurdity only possible in 2022, has won a K-pop song). Proof of this strange Yankee obsession is that Will Ferrell started trying to understand what this was all about, and got Netflix to finance it.
Will Ferrell has been married to the same woman for 22 years. Viveca Paulin— a Swede who, of course, loves Eurovision — what sets this film apart from what it could have been is Ferrell’s lack of ironic distance and outright respect for the festival. In 2018 he went to see the final, he met the contestants and prepared to write something to match, with the strangeness with which to face it being an American but the fascination of glitter and the crazy rhythms of the festival itself.
All those who do not understand what Eurovision is about can turn the page. Yes, really. This movie does not go with you: It is not a stark parody full of sarcasm but a story told from affection not only towards the history of the festival, but also towards the eternal losers, the tacky songs and the towns where being an artist is little more than a joke. The mix, while not memorable, is a happy little place.
Eurorrision
‘Eurovision: The Fire Saga Story’ can’t quite hit the right key in the script and the characters are not as developed as they could be during the excessive two hours of footage, but he is absolutely right in mimicking Eurovision songs: any song on his album could sound perfectly this Saturday in Turin. From ‘Husavik’, which was nominated for an Oscar, to that ten-minute medley that break the film without concession to bring together the biggest stars in the history of the festival singing a mix of ‘Believe’, ‘Ray of light’, ‘Ne partez pas sans moi’, ‘Waterloo’ and ‘I gotta feeling’. A wet dream for any hobbyist.
But the film has big problems, but the main one is its length, which it’s over two hours and it feels like a slab. No matter how much affection there is in the production, the relationship between the two protagonists does not end up working and some jokes (most of those that take place outside of Iceland) fall on deaf ears. When try a dramatic turn by surprise without neglecting the comedy short-circuits and ends aimlessly.
Will Ferrell gives it all on paper between exacerbated parody and sensitivity, accompanied by a heart-stopping cast: Rachel McAdams, Graham Norton, Demi Lovato and Pierce Brosnan as the father who will never approve of his son singing at Eurovision. And as a gift, Eurovision representatives from the last ten years, including six winners: Loreen, Alexander Rybak, Jamala, Conchita Wurst, Netta, and Salvador Sobral. A eurofan paradise that makes you laugh, makes you a little tender and, above all, leaves you with the feeling of having seen a Eurovision gala. pure methadone.
an idiot movie
Being totally honest: ‘Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga’ is a movie deep and honest idiot. But not in a negative or frustrating way: he knows he is, he embraces the silliness that this is all about. Precisely the only moment in which she slows down is when she becomes aware of herself and tries to be what she was never meant to be: a great little drama with Eurovision as a backdrop.
His great triumph is to understand the festival, laugh at him without being offensive and honor him without being cakey. It is not a film, of course, for those who grumble and look at the clock while everyone is having a good time next to them trying to guess the scores, nor for those who believe that Eurovision is a serious thing that must be taken almost academically.
‘Eurovision: The Fire Saga Story’ Is Perfect To Watch In Those Moments When You Miss the light, absurd, grandiloquent and tacky of a festival that continues to evolve every year without neglecting its DNA. And also to see Will Ferrell singing the catchiest song of the last decade. ‘Volcano man’? Of course not. Come on, all together: Haha, ding dong!