First of all, I’d like to thank all of the first-time readers who have been exploring the Madison Film Forum over the past few days. We’ve been hitting new highs on visits and page views, and we hope that you’ve found the entries here useful and entertaining. We would love to hear from you, so please leave feedback in the comments section, or contact us via email, Twitter, or Facebook.
We really do hope that our reviews and discussions here are a starting point for a larger conversation about individual films and Madison’s film culture as a whole. It’s been great to hear from people on Facebook and Twitter who liked films that I didn’t like, especially Stand Clear of the Moving Doors and The Rocket. Of the two, it’s pretty clear that I need to give Stand Clear another chance when I’m not suffering from preview-burnout (and I mentioned in my capsule review that my viewing method was possibly unfair to the film). The Rocket, on the other hand, I’m still convinced is just a series of cliches in the last act—an entertaining series of cliches, granted.
In Brief:
20,000 Days on Earth (Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard, UK, 2014, 95 min)»
A fun part of this experience was standing in line with restaurateur Chris Berge, who knows Nick Cave’s music far better than I do. Chris struck up several conversations with those who seemed eager to share their knowledge and enthusiasm about Cave. Scott Gordon at Arts Extract tweeted a similar observation about the audience.
At either the @wifilmfest for 20,000 DAYS ON EARTH or some sort of elite summit of @MadCityMusicEx/@HighNoonMadison regulars. #wifilmfest
— Tone Madison (@ToneMSN) April 7, 2014
Chris and I briefly discussed how far we would drive to see either Cave or P.J. Harvey live, and Chris suggested around four hours. The ticket holder in front of us chimed in and told us he will be driving five hours to see Cave in Ohio, because he lived there at the time the tickets went on sale but he now lives in Wisconsin. When we sat down Chris played a brief game of Dueling Discographies with the guy sitting next to us. My point is that the target audience certainly turned out for the film. But the fan sitting next to us bailed long before the film was over. The challenge for a film like 20,000 Days on Earth is how to address both non-fans and fans without confusing the former or disappointing the later. But I kind of admired the filmmakers for not really caring about that too much.
Cave and the filmmakers wanted to address certain preoccupations related to his life career, and that’s what they did, regardless if that is what the fans wanted to see and hear. The results walk the line between self-indulgence and honest, insightful introspection, depending on your sympathies for Cave and your respect for his work.
I think a few individual sequences provide a good test for what side of that line you think the film ends up. His performance of “Higgs Boson Blues” foregrounds his lyrics after the film has emphasized the importance of his writing process. The filmmakers make no attempt to persuade you that this material is good, so your response might be gratitude for the opportunity to watch this song evolve, or resentment for sitting through a rehearsal of an over-wrought draft. In the small venue live performances, your reaction to the faces of Cave’s fans will either be jealous identification or uncomfortable disdain.
But you know, a little self-indulgence never hurt anyone, and at its best moments 20,000 Days provides funny, honest insights into the creative process and the consequences of creating a stage persona. And at times the music sequences, especially at the end, can be quite exhilarating. If you’re not familiar with Cave and think that the film is much ado about nothing, you’ll possibly rethink your position after the final performance at the Sydney Opera House.
For another take on the film from someone more familiar with Cave than I am, take a look at Scott Gordon’s review at Arts Extract.
Edit, Wednesday, April 9: Funny how the Twitterverse works.
"Quite exhilarating" –@MadFilmForum on #20000DaysonEarth & @nickcave @wifilmfest http://t.co/iugjYr7vS2
— 20,000 Days on Earth (@20000days) April 9, 2014