Wednesday night at the Picadilly Cinema provided a treat for fans of Cincinnati five piece The National, in the form of a screening of documentary Mistaken for Strangers, and a Q&A session with lead singer Matt Berninger. The screenings around the country are in sync with the band’s national tour, playing at Thebarton Theatre on Thursday night.
At it’s core, Mistaken for Strangers could be described as a documentary of The National’s biggest tour to date, after the release of their 2010 record High Violet, but it’s more a look at the relationship between two brothers. On the eve of the tour, Matt asks his younger brother Tom (9 years his junior) to help out as a roadie, but is unaware that Tom is interested in filming the experience. Tom is an amateur filmmaker, unashamedly loves horror movies, and is, according to Matt, a metal head. “He thinks indie rock is pretentious bullsh*t”, states Matt in an interview.
Early scenes of the film are filled with Tom awkwardly talking to people in his native Cincinnati, and he is suddenly whisked away to Europe with the band. Brief shots of all five members show many years of tour experience, and cutting to Tom’s face shows a fish out of water. He may not like indie rock or The National’s style, but his excitement for the tour is similar to a toddler going to the zoo.
It’s evident that Tom’s use of the camera was relentless, as band and crew members are quick to shy away, or are just perplexed as to what he’s actually doing. A main theme in the film is that no one, including Tom, is exactly sure what he wants out of this documentary. Any preconceptions that this will be just another band documentary are washed away by Tom’s home video style of shooting, and his unrehearsed, vague and incomplete questions. But herein lies the charm of Mistaken for Strangers, as it provides many laughs in its natural flow following the tour and Tom’s experiences back home.
For every scene of Matt or a crew member yelling at Tom for enjoying himself too much, there’s a light hearted moment, such as Tom suggesting that “when you die, I’ll take over,” referring to Matt’s job as lead singer. The home-video style that Tom brings to the film also makes it thoroughly enjoyable. As the 75-minute roll time passes the half way mark, Tom’s idea of what the films end goal is changes rapidly. It’s no longer a film following the band as a whole, and is now more of a look at Tom, and how different he is to his largely successful brother. His constant mess ups on tour and back home lead to him requiring help filtering through the hours of footage.
According to Matt in the Q&A afterwards, his wife Carin is the true hero in this production. She is the one who turned it from being a documentary about the band into a look at Tom’s childlike wonder of touring, and the relatable shadow that older siblings can cast as it was “more interesting.” Most of the questions directed at Matt were about his love for his brother, and how much this has brought them closer to one and other. Matt’s natural comfort with speaking to fans is evident of how down to earth this band is.
If you’re a National fan, you’ll love this film, and even if you’re not, it’s a fantastically fresh look at what a music documentary can be. Charming, funny, thoroughly interesting, and according to Michael Moore, “one of the best music documentaries I’ve ever seen.”
Reviewed by Will Allen
More News
