You pay attention when Mark Romanek issues a new music video.

This is the mad-visionary behind Cash’s “Hurt” video. And of course Jay-Z’s stark “99 Problems,” and the Thunderdome styled “Are You Gonna Go My Way” by Lenny Kravitz. (Shame he’s not worked with Bowie often, just imagine what those 2 brainiacs could cook up!).

Mark Romanek knows how to forge engaging music videos (which makes his feature film work so utterly disappointing, it’s charged with being boring, one of the more grievous Artistic sins to commit). Happily Mark is back in the Director’s Chair with U2’s Invisible. (An edited version of which aired during ye old Super Bowl).

Smartly and simply designed the illuminated countdown kicks off the sonic party. Smoothly rolling into a black and white light show bathing an intimate U2 gathering. Maybe it’s because I’m immature and still attracted to shiny objects but the projected firework sparks draw my eye. That just looks…warm. And inviting, like a fireplace at a cabin.

I dig the ending: what should have been a simple rock band video shot in a Santa Monica airport hangar, Mark gives voice to the crowd who chant: “There is no them, there’s only us.” A kind of a reverse Occupy gathering.

Nice. Well done Mr. Romanek.

Pop Culture Tangent: Cash’s Hurt video was like, the last time we all agreed on something…like everybody: critics, fans, casual observers…we could point to that visceral video and admit: that’s fresh. Cash’s Hurt works because it’s a bonfire of images, we watch his iconic life goes up in flames. U2 also have an empire of images and depending on how their story ends…they too have a Hurt slash bonfire of images video in them.

They’re one of the few bands that could pull off a final bonfire poignant video. Radiohead, Dylan, Stones maybe. If Romanek is not available for the end of U2 then hopefully there will be an enterprising and engaging director so that we can gather together around the YouTube and watch it all burn. Together.

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Also published on Medium.