Joined by his This Is Spinal Tap co-writers, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest follows up his successful mockumentary about obsessive dog owners (Best In Show) with another satirical look into something most of us know little about... folk music.

The death of Irving Steinbloom, a legendary (and fictional) folk music promoter responsible for the genre's heyday in the 1960's, prompts his eldest son to reunite some of his father's favourite musicians and hold a memorial concert in his honour.

Three of folk's finest forgotten acts are brought together for the special day. They are The Folksmen (made up of Guest, McKean and Shearer), who bicker about which songs they should play; The New main Street Singers - a colourful "neuftet" who wouldn't look out of place in a toothpaste commercial; and Folk's answer to Sonny and Cher - Mitch and Mickey.

Mitch (Eugene Levy) and Mickey (Catherine O'Hara) have a bigger history, and a bigger hit record, than any of the other acts. The duo's songs epitomised young love for a generation but their tragic story involves divorce, mental breakdown and some rather disturbing solo albums.

The actors manage believable performances from utterly eccentric and quirky characters in what is basically a build up towards the final showdown - a folk concert to remember.

But that's not all, you soon realise something that makes you appreciate their talents all the more - they're really singing and playing their instruments themselves.

Co-writer Eugene Levy is an absolute marvel as the incredibly nervous and borderline psychotic Mitch and there's no denying his musical ability - he wrote some of the songs himself and displays a memorably sweet singing voice.

And although some of the comedy is a bit hit and miss (a lot of the jokes might be lost on a younger audience), the upbeat tongue-in-cheek tone keeps you interested until the curtain opens on the big finale, which is worth the price of admission alone.

Dominic Bloch