You only get your golden anniversary once, and Haruomi Hosono has been making the most of his. Basking in some belated international acclaim, the 72-year-old musician has had a whirlwind year, releasing a reinterpretation of his debut LP, playing his first-ever solo U.S. shows and holding his own music festival and exhibition in Tokyo.
The anniversary package wouldn't be complete without a documentary, and so we have "No Smoking," directed with diligence but little flair by NHK producer Taketoshi Sado.
The film sketches out a straightforward chronology of the first few decades of Hosono's career, starting with short-lived psych-rock outfit Apryl Fool and moving on to his influential work with Happy End and Yellow Magic Orchestra and as a solo artist. This is woven together with concert footage from recent tours, in which Hosono and his band play reworked versions of his back catalogue, although the impact of the performances is dulled by static camerawork and a drab, washed-out palette.