4 Caps: Wrecking Crew, Last Mistress, Gonzo, Song Sung Blue

The Wrecking Crew is a fascinating film about a loose-knit collection of studio musicians who played on hundreds, probably thousands of songs you’d recognize: “California Girls,” “Close To You,” “Be My Baby,” “Mrs. Robinson,” and on and on and on. The film is directed by Denny Tedesco, son of late guitarist Tommy Tedesco, and he’s rounded up quite a crew to tell the tale: Cher, Mickey Dolenz, and Nancy Sinatra to mention a few, and a number of the musicians themselves too: drummer Hal Blaine, sax player Plas Johnson (that’s him playing The Pink Panther theme), bassist Joe Osborn and bassist Carol Kaye, a rare woman among the crew, among others. You’ll be astonished on the breadth of their work, the ups and downs of their careers, and the terrific array of footage. (May 23, Harvard Exit, 9:30 pm; May 26, Harvard Exit, 4 pm).

The Last Mistress This French period piece is a kinder, gentler Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Set in the 19th century, a young man (who looked disconcertingly like Robert Mapplethorpe to me) on the verge of marriage explains to his fiance’s grandmother why he’s going to leave his rakish ways behind — specifically, that “other woman” he’s been dallying with for oh, a decade. Of course, if that happened, there wouldn’t be much of a movie, would there? Some hot sex scenes, but a bit too languid for me. And I kept thinking, if this was set in present day, among a bunch of wealthy people who have nothing better to do than have affairs with each other and see operas, I’d probably find them very irritating. But they do speak French. (May 23, Egyptian, 9:30 pm; May 25, Uptown, 4 pm)

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson A good look at the wild life and crazy times of Mr. Thompson, who comes across as a person I’d enjoying reading (and reading about) more than I’d enjoy knowing. What’s most remarkable is how this film is put together; there’s a wealth of footage, both pertaining to Thompson (he was featured on To Tell The Truth!) and the events of the period (Vietnam, Nixon…it’s depressing watching history repeat itself), and a stellar soundtrack that’s constantly weaving in and out of the proceedings. It’s not nostalgia (I was a mere child in the ‘60s), but it sure looks like things were a lot more fun back then. If only Thompson was still around to write poison pen commentary about Bush and co. But I can understand his disillusion. (May 24, Egyptian, 3:45 pm; May 26, Egyptian, 9 pm).

Song Sung Blue is the strange, sad saga of Mike Sardina and Claire Sardina. Billed as “Lightning” and “Thunder,” respectively, Mike impersonates Neil Diamond and Claire sings Patsy Cline (she’s not an impersonator). Well, Eddie Vedder’s impressed; shouldn’t you be? Then things take a turn for the worse and their family life gets really, really ugly. But their determination to chase their dream persists against all odds, making this an ultimately moving story, even as it also makes you hate the capriciousness of the entertainment world. For myself, I really had no idea people were so hung up on Neil Diamond, whose new album, fittingly, has recently gone to #1. (May 29, Harvard Exit, 4:30 pm; June 2, Egyptian, 7 pm).