20,000 Days on Earth
****
Reviewed by: Zannia Yakas
OCCASIONALLY, I hear the word documentary and automatically fall asleep. I can't help it.
But in this case, it was a Sunday night and a film based on music so I took a brave step out to the Margaret River Cultural Centre to have a peek at 20,000 Days on Earth.
The film depicts a day in the life of Australian musician Nick Cave and though classed as a doco, it is much more interesting..
Interviews with Cave are played out through scripted conversations with his psychiatrist, Kylie Minogue and band member Warren Ellis. There is a lot of talk of Cave's childhood and his performances with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, including the time a crowd member urinated on the band. Real photos and live footage add to the insight.
Meanwhile, Cave's inner dialogue is very philosophical as he ponders the relationship between his musical life and the so called real world.
His true passion is storytelling and thus his biggest fear is losing his memory. "Memory is what we are," Cave notes. This, coupled with the film's many close-up shots and the raw studio scenes, really reached me.
Rather than taking a chance to brag about his success, Cave has used his screen time to get audiences wondering about their own lives and their own creativity, whatever form it might take. I walked out of the film feeling relaxed and inspired to just be myself.
At the same time, I was satisfied in getting to know Cave. When he sings his lyrics, he is clearly channeling his most personal memories, questions and fears with a natural and comfortable curiosity.
One scene sure to stay with viewers is Cave kneeled on stage, grasping an audience member's hand to his chest and singing.
"Can you feel my heart beat?" he whispers.
This moment is extended and intimate, and worth seeing instead of your regular Sunday night television.
For movie tickets and information, contact Arts Margaret River. Next viewing is Friday, October 3 at the Margaret River Cultural Centre.
