by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Why do people love mockumentaries so much? Some of the most popular sitcoms of modern television embrace that style. You take The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Modern Family and they all in some shape or form deliver their story in the documentary presentation. The Office really leans in with the interviewing of the staff there. Long before them, Christopher Guest and company had been lampooning all walks of life through fake documentaries. No one was safe from such hilarity such as rock stars, community theater actors, movie industry folks, and dog show people. But what about them makes them so popular? Is it the “authenticity” and “rawness” of it? Does it just lend itself to create relatable situations? Are there just too many laughs to deliver?
But what if an artist took things one step further and made an abstract mockumentary that floats between the format and more abstract arthouse filmmaking? Sounds like a bold choice. IFC’s latest film, The Nowhere Inn, is bold enough to take that approach and thanks should be directed at St. Vincent and Carrie Brownstein. St. Vincent takes a hyper-realized version of her own life as a musical performer and “makes” a documentary about it. She recruits her friend, Brownstein, to direct. The set up is there to create a unique and (sometimes overly) bold sense of artfulness. One thing can be said or certain… this one will stick with you for a while afterward.
But does that necessarily mean this is a good film? There are plenty of reasons to appreciate this work of art in that there are so many scenarios and ideas that are tackled in this script. The variety of crazy scenarios do the film plenty of great things when it comes to creating humor, horror, and drama. Do all these skit type moments deliver? Unfortunately, no… but when they do, this film is something special. The story boldly goes into plenty of areas of discomfort as well. A surprise Dakota Johnson sex scene is just one that creates a (purposefully) uncomfortable response for both Brownstein and the audience. There is an overly dramatic interaction between St. Vincent and a fan she tries to one up emotionally. These are just a few moments that stand out in this film full of episodic moments.
How does director Bill Benz maximize the music aspects of the film? There is a grainy and gritty approach to the cinematography during St. Vincent’s concert scenes. This gives the performances a classic feel like an old school concert documentary like The Last Waltz. St. Vincent gives a fantastic performance in this film, but especially during the performances. She is a natural and real performer which provides an authenticity to it. The music is full of jams, which are just the icing on the cake.
But is there heart to this film to go along with the bold storytelling and filmmaking? St. Vincent and Brownstein have great chemistry together in the film. Their banter and conflicts are impressive throughout plenty of the scenes in the film. One of the tricky aspects of the film is that these “characters” are not necessarily likable. It might be hard to really connect with the film despite the strong performance put out by our leads.
Is The Nowhere Inn ambitious enough to make it a must see flick from IFC? In many ways, yes. If you are in for an artful and unique cinematic experience, you will probably find enough of the sequences in the film worth your time. Benz’s film can feel hit-or-miss but the short runtime and committed performance help you through the moments that don’t quite work.
Grade: C+