Biography. Unrated. 1 hour, 20 minutes. At the Chez Artiste.
Patrick Takaya Solomon’s “Finding Joe” sounds like a documentary on the life of mythologist Joseph Campbell (1904-1987), who held that a “monomyth” — the hero’s journey — lies at the heart of the world’s legends. It involves a hero leaving home, facing all manner of challenges and returning a transformed, fulfilled individual.
Solomon, however, has taken many of Campbell’s words of wisdom — the most famous being “Follow your bliss” — to launch what is essentially a self-help lecture, interspersed with clips from such films as “Star Wars,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “Rocky,” and the remarks of a wide range of writers, artists and visionaries.
Solomon’s approach places didacticism over revelation.
“Finding Joe” is so centered on the self-realization of the individual that it provokes one to contemplate the millions of oppressed, imperiled people who haven’t the luxury of pursuing such an inner quest.
