Thoughts about the quasi-National documentary Mistaken for Strangers
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Four City Paper writers went to see the Philadelphia premiere of Tom Berninger's documentary Mistaken For Strangers and then talked about it.
Four City Paper writers went to see the Philadelphia premiere of Tom Berninger’s documentary Mistaken For Strangers and then talked about it. Yes, Sameer almost cried. And yes, he said “universal” twice. And no, he’s not ashamed.
By Naveed Ahsan, Joseph Poteracki, Sameer Rao, and Dotun Akintoye
Dotun: Does this thing work? As a rock-dock, or meta-rock doc or whatever you want to call it?
Joe: I think it definitely works, but perhaps not as a rock-doc. I came into this thing not very familiar with the National's music, and zero familiarity with them as personalities, and - lo and behold! - the movie wasn't even about the National at all, really. There are a few ideas going on in there, but the core of the film is the relationship between lead singer Matt Berninger and his brother Tom, and how they reconcile the successful brother/fuck-up brother dynamic. There's a lot of humor and pathos that has little to do with the band, and has nothing to do with music either. And oddly enough, that's the movie's strength.
Dotun: Yeah, agreed. The movie works because a group of people are willing to put up with annoyances, failings and outright stupidity in order to help someone they love. And they triumph; which altogether makes me feel that the film is less disposable than I initially thought.
Sameer: As a testament to this relationship, and the relatable dynamics of families, this film does work. I think it could definitely be an intro to the band, if only because there were some sweet rock-doc shots throughout everything. But it’s pretty universal to kick yourself for your fuck-ups, for people to feel paralysis because of their fuck-ups, and for older siblings to worry about their younger ones in a way that can be patronizing. I'd recommend it to anybody who just likes documentaries.
Dotun: And the middle third of the film is a fairly strong, traditional rock documentary. And that middle third depicts something that fans of the band will recognize instantly; that one of the most thrilling aspects of watching The National perform is the change that comes over Matt Berninger, and the half blotto, unpredictable performance style he has. It seems almost like torture for him, like he's trying to jump out of his own skin. And there's a lot of great visuals and dialogue in the film to that effect.
Naveed: Yeah, I felt that this doc would be a fine gateway for those unfamiliar with the band's music. The fact that it was a story of brothers is why it's something everyone can relate to. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves docs in general but especially those who understand the National and want to know more about the band.
Dotun: Joe, you weren't a fan coming in, so I guess the question here is we (the three fans) keep saying this doc can introduce the band (and implicitly its music) to people who didn't care or know beforehand. Is that true for you?
Sameer: I'd also like it to be clear that I almost cried. It really tugged at these narrative arcs that felt so universal. It was almost as if a song by the band was made into a movie.
Joe: Glad that you mentioned this point, Dotun. I'm gonna have to be the contrarian. I can't say that this movie made me more interested in listening to the band. The concert footage was cool, but I don't think there was enough about the music to latch onto in that way. My question to everyone is this: Are there any tie-ins between the National's lyrical content and some of the themes we see in the film (brotherhood, success vs. failure, etc.)? If there are, then I feel like an opportunity was missed...
Sameer: I believe that there are tie-ins, but I don't think Matt Berninger's lyrics are direct (and he's very mumbly), so unless you knew to pay attention to the lyrics, you wouldn't get a sense of the songs narrating the film in any real way. For me, The National is all about the textures. They're dark, foreboding, laced with moments of catharsis (particularly with their live show), and the film highlighted that.
Joe: Maybe it would be a bit unfair then to say they missed an opportunity. It might be pretty rewarding for fans of the band to infer these themes, rather than have them telegraphed to us too plainly.
Dotun: Lest we be remiss, Mistaken For Strangers is really funny. And Tom Berninger’s paunchy, bungling, Everyman is a great comic figure.
