a-ha: The Movie

A-ha: The Movie could have easily devolved into a tabloid-esque expose on the strife and egos of a band that has been in the limelight for more than 35 years. It never goes there. Yes, there is some strife, some disagreements, some resentment, but it's never the focus of the movie. Instead, it becomes a sympathetic psychological treatise on the effects of chronic fame on three individuals, a view unsullied by the usual tropes of debauchery and substance abuse. The result isn't a sudden implosion but a steadily dripping tap, slowly eroding the creative drive. The effects interfere with the physical health, the need to retain creative control, and the ability to find sanctuary in a sea of noise - a world full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Some of the stories are well-known, the stuff of legend among fans; some are less so, culminating in an extremely vulnerable moment shared (and for that, I thank him), painful to watch and obviously excruciating to experience. The movie ends not as a coda, but with an ellipsis, leaving open what may come, never attempting to speculate beyond asking each member the time-worn question: "Will there be another new album?"

• Sincerely, an a-ha fan in the U. S. since 1985.