Takin’ Care of Business

Directed by Tyler Measom, Takin’ Care of Business explores the life and times of Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive musician Randy Bachman – with the movie, in addition to covering the highlights of his career, detailing its subjects decades-long efforts at tracking down a beloved guitar that was stolen in the 1970s. It’s compelling subject matter that’s employed to watchable (albeit erratic) effect by Measom, and there’s little doubt that the picture fares best in its blisteringly-paced opening stretch – with the initial emphasis on Bachman’s music-related exploits certainly heightened the decidedly compelling atmosphere. (It’s impossible, for example, not to get a kick out of Bachman’s story about how the Guess Who’s “American Woman” was spontaneously created.) There’s little doubt, then, that Takin’ Care of Business, in its second half, drags to a somewhat palpable extent, as the focus on Bachman’s health problems, as well as on the man who came to own the aforementioned guitar, simply isn’t as engaging or engrossing as Measom has intended – although the film does, at least, conclude on a rewarding, emotional note. The end result is a decent-enough documentary that feels a little long even at just 80 minutes, and it seems likely, ultimately, that Takin’ Care of Business will fare best among fans of Bachman and his various bands.

**1/2 out of ****