Funkytown

Funkytown, dir. Daniel Roby, 2011, Canada, 132 min., in English (without subtitles) and French with English subtitles; also available in French (without subtitles) and English with French subtitles 
Monday 6/18, 3:30 @ Castro, FUNK18C

Catching a little disco fever
at the Starlight in Funkytown

Funkytown is a period piece, set in the late 1970’s and early 80’s in Montréal. It’s loosely based on several true stories, revolving around the Starlight, a fictional disco. Bastien Lavallée is a radio DJ who also hosts the local TV show Disco Dance Party. Bastien is married with a daughter, but finds it impossible to resist the allure of fame, with all its accoutrements. His TV co-host is flamboyant trendsetter Jonathan, who holds court in his salon for the chosen few. Justin Chatwin (of Showtime’s US version of Shameless) is Tino, who shows up with his girlfriend (*cough* beard *cough*) Tina to show off their moves on the dance floor, as they both become friends with Jonathan. The dialogue shifts seamlessly between French and English, as conversation in Montréal is wont to do.


The music is fabulous and fun, with several fun characters, but this nice period piece is far too long at  2h12m, painfully predictable in several places, with a disappointing lack of character development, especially given its length. Good fun, but not a great film. Recommended.


Note: the official website is listed as Funkytown-LeFilm.com, although as of this writing it is not operational. There is also a Facebook page.