This was such a bizarre experience, having followed Patrick from my early teenage years, I recognised so many of the visuals that shaped my own identity as a queer person at that formative time.It goes without saying that Owen Pallett's score was beautiful, Tilda Swinton's questioning felt familiar and relaxing (despite much of the heavy subject matter), and the stunning visuals of birds and natural landscapes really helped to ground the film in the visual and sonic world of Patrick Wolf. I was impressed however, as someone who doesn't often warm to documentaries, that this has a lovely pace, and forward momentum, and really captured the same essence that Patrick exudes through his music (much less a story about brand-building as a singer-songwriter, but more about what it is to cultivate a life as an Artist, in every sense of the word).I met Patrick at a small show last year, and he signed my copy of Crying the Neck with "thank you for your ears all these years"I'm so glad to have stuck around for his return, as watching WOLF it truly feels like the beginning of a new chapter, for Patrick and his music, but also where I am in my life right now. His closing remarks (I'm paraphrasing) that you are allowed to reinvent yourself and rid yourself of the things that don't serve you, feel poignant and timely.Can't wait to see what he does next!
