“Nick would have never gone for a straightforward rock-doc,” co-director Iain Forsyth told The New York Times about the docudrama "20,000 Days On Earth." “We decided to go in a direction that combined reality with fantasy as seamlessly as possible — which, if you think about it, isn’t too far from the transaction between a rock star and his fans. People want desperately to enter the world Nick creates in his songs. You can look around when the Bad Seeds are playing and see precisely which version of Nick — the junkie, the outlaw, the lover — each person in the crowd wants to be.”
And it’s those many personas that be playfully addressed in the film, which follows a fictional Cave over the course of 24 hours, and will see him roll with pals like Ray Winstone and Kylie Minogue. The movie examines his songwriting process, live show performances, friendship with longtime collaborator Warren Ellis, and much more, but it’s also not a straightahead look at his life. It’s creative in a way only Cave could conjure, and it’s a film devotees will want to seek out. "While the doc should prove essential for Nick Cave fans, it should be inspiring for those interested in the creative process or anyone searching for their muse," Cory Everett wrote in his review out of the Sundance Film Festival.
"20,000 Days On Earth" is now touring the country in a series of special screenings via Drafthouse Films. Dates here. [William Welfare]
