Film Review: Mistaken for Strangers

Director: Tom Berninger

For many years, the indie band The National were well favoured by the critics but struggled to match that success commercially. Following the 2010 album High Violet that appeared to change and as they embarked on a big tour, lead singer Matt Berninger agreed to lets his brother come on tour as a member of the crew to film the experience. Tom describes Matt appreciation of their music and the genre as "pretentious bullshit" so its a new experience for both brothers as Tom rarely spends time with the band.

It's a typically quirky look at a band touring, The National have never been a particularly conventional band and naturally this documentary of their tour is equally different. It's very much the sort of documentary that requires you to be a fan of the band itself so you are intrigued in the personalities behind the music. Despite a few interview with the lesser known band members, it's very much about the immature younger brother Tom and the older lead singer Matt.

Movie Poster

The filming itself by Tom is very poor which to be fair he admits as much but it gives you a decent idea of what happens behind the scenes on the days in the lead up to the gigs that we all see. The stress and strains of the constant travelling and logistical nightmare of everything that goes with the band everywhere they go. It's the side we often don't see or consider to any band's tour. You do often get the feel that Matt ended up filming a lot of the more random and inane moments rather than the more important scenes (although an interview with Aaron Dessner reveals a bust-up with Matt over the song Apartment Story). I was hoping for more actual band footage on stage but there are still some great small bits of footage.

2.5/4 Very much for hardcore fans of The National