‘a-ha: The Movie’ Film Review: Modest Documentary Takes on Norwegian Pop Legends

thewrap.com:

th anniversary is nothing to sneeze at, but learning that one of the groups to reach that milestone is the Norwegian trio a-ha might warrant not so much an achoo as a gasp, double take, or “Come again?”Since 1985, we’ve all lived with the sparkling earworm of syncopation, synth, and pop crooning that is the single “Take On Me,” the kind of breakout chart-topper (in 36 countries) that you just knew was going to define an era’s sugary, youthful romanticism.

The dynamically conceptualized half-animated music video didn’t hurt its immortality campaign either, with lead singer Morten Harket’s chiseled, sensitive, pouty-rebel presence — someone, please, help him! — destined to adorn teenage walls everywhere.

a-ha was ‘80s MTV fame personified, but that song is also a truly great pop classic.And yet, as Norwegian filmmaker and proud fan Thomas Robsahm’s affectionate documentary “a-ha: The Movie” reveals, “Take on Me” is the kind of rocket to stardom that’s both a blessing and a curse when you’re trying to forge a long, varied career.

Despite what Americans used to the regular rotation of well-publicized pop artists may believe, a-ha weren’t one hit wonders: Harket, Pål Waaktaar-Savoy, and Magne Furuholmen have put out ten albums, sold over 50 million units, have nurtured lasting, regular fans around the world (Coldplay’s Chris Martin cites them as an influence), and even earned a Guinness record for biggest paying-crowd concert attendance (198,000 in Rio in 1991) that lasted until fairly recently.They also got this documentary, filmed over four years, which doesn’t entirely convince as to its feature-length necessity.