20,000 Days On Earth

[stuartboy]

I was lucky enough to win a Stella Artois competition to the Gala screening of this complete with interviews, Q+A and live music. Unfortunately I found this to be far and away the worst film I have seen this year. Hands down. It was intensely boring, there was no story whatsoever - despite it being billed as a drama - it was simply a very bad documentary. OK - I'd never heard of Nick Cave or The Bad Seeds, but even the music was crap. I don't mind documentaries, and I don't even mind documentaries about music/bands. The Search For Sugarman is a perfect example of this. This film however is up there with the rubbish that was that film about backing singers in America that we endured a good few months ago.
Nick Cave - chinless wonder (mullet!) who can't sing for toffee and the story of 24 fictitious hours in his life. Yawn!
Strangely enough this was playing to a full house, so much so that the seats that had been alocated to me were right at the back and in the middle meaning that I was unable to do what I never actually do on principle and that is leave early. I certainly didn't stay for the extras though!

Utter utter tripe!

0/10

[alythonian]

Really? We were devastated to be away and to miss this. Love Nick Cave.

[prettyxcool]

Good grief, I had a narrow escape then! Good job, I didn't win this and went to the free live opera at Trafalgar Square instead!

[raj101]

shame, Cave makes a lot of good music, its woeful that this had to be a cash-in.

That said, being that bad, at least it'll be on the bbc's storyville by next month.

[kevinknapman]

I was at the Barbican for the gala screening on Wednesday. Being a Nick Cave fan I'd been looking forward to this for ages. Thankfully it didn't disappoint. A really beautiful piece of filmmaking from Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard. Far from your run of the mill music documentary, this is as much a study of the creative process and the act of performance than it is specifically about one particular musician. Though if that makes it sound hard going or overly pretentious, there's plenty of wit and humour along the way too. Bad Seed and regular Cave collaborator Warren Ellis steals the show on several occasions, especially when pointing out one verse of a song that Cave is singing sounds remarkably like All Night Long by Lionel Richie. Beyond that highlights are plenty. Cave reminiscing about the time he had to introduce the formidable and terrifying Nina Simone at the Meltdown Festival. Warren Ellis talking about seeing the equally formidable Jerry Lee Lewis on stage. Cave chatting with Ray Winstone, Blixa Bargeld and Kylie Minogue whilst driving around Brighton. A trip to the Nick Cave archive, looking at old photos and remembering the insanity of The Birthday Party gigs.
It looks fantastic too with excellent cinematography courtesy of Tyrannosaur and Submarine DoP Erik Wilson.
A fascinating study of a great musician and pretty much essential for any fan of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

The second half of the evening was equally satisfying. A very good Q&A hosted by Edith Bowman with Cave and the directors with guest appearances by Ellis, Winstone and recently returned band member Barry Adamson. Though Cave looked a little uncomfortable with that part of the evening he certainly came to life when he got to go to the piano several times during the Q&A and perform six songs along with Ellis and Adamson (set list - The Weeping Song, And No More Shall We Part, God is in the House, The Ship Song, Into My Arms, Mermaids).
A great film and a great evening. All that and a free set of lobby cards created especially for the screening too.

[raj101]

oh that a relief, KK. One for the fans especially then, which includes me. I await the tv screening with bated breath.

[prettyxcool]

oh that a relief, KK. One for the fans especially then, which includes me. I await the tv screening with bated breath.

Oh, ditto here too! Another marmite film then

[vivinwonderland]

I am not a big Nick Cave fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed the film.

[LondonCityNights]

This film is outstanding. I guess if you hate Nick Cave as much as stuartboy you won't get much out of it, but even so I'd at least think you'd recognise it as a smart, well produced bit of cinema.