Eno: 'stimulating and cerebral' documentary that's never the same twice
A 'fascinating' look at the mercurial British musician and activist Brian Eno

How do you capture in a conventional documentary "the mercurial character, the elastic creativity and the prolific and endlessly inventive output of an artist such as Brian Eno"?
The answer "is that you can't", said Wendy Ide in The Observer. So rather than follow the standard rock star documentary format, and provide a "dutiful plod through talking-head interviews and archive footage", director Gary Hustwit came up with something entirely novel: a film that is different every time.
Owing to "specially developed software", each time the documentary plays in the cinema, different scenes will be shown in different orders. According to the filmmakers, there are 52 quintillion possible iterations. So I can tell you that the documentary I saw was "thoughtful and philosophical", but bear in mind that this version "will never be seen again".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Eno" is a "fascinating honeycomb of interlocking sequences", each of which tackles a "different facet" of the musician, producer, artist and activist's methods, philosophy and career, said Sam Wigley in Sight and Sound.
"Common to many of these particles are warm, unguarded interviews with Eno at his home and studio in Norfolk, where he's seen layering sounds at his computer and out admiring shrubs in his garden."
His Roxy Music co-stars, his collaborator David Bowie, "and a mixing-desk session with U2 are in the blend too".
This "pick'n'mix doc" is not, ultimately, "as radical as it purports to be, or as revealing as it could have been", said Steve Rose in The Guardian. But it is "stimulating and cerebral", and Eno comes across as appealingly funny and self-deprecating.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
June 28 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include stupid wars, a critical media, and mask standards
-
Thai fish pie with crispy turmeric potatoes recipe
The Week Recommends Tasty twist on the Lancashire hot pot is given a golden glow
-
Palestine Action: protesters or terrorists?
Talking Point Damaging RAF equipment at Brize Norton blurs line between activism and sabotage, but proscription is a drastic step
-
Thai fish pie with crispy turmeric potatoes recipe
The Week Recommends Tasty twist on the Lancashire hot pot is given a golden glow
-
Feel the groove with these music-centric getaways across the globe
Let the rhythm move you
-
5 high-concept animated science fiction shows for grown-ups
The Week Recommends How filmmakers are using a different medium to bring visionary science fiction to life
-
Lovestuck: a 'warm-hearted' musical with a 'powerhouse score'
The Week Recommends Team behind the hit podcast My Dad Wrote a Porno have created a hilarious show about a disastrous viral Tinder date
-
Outrageous: glossy Mitford family drama is full of 'fun, fashion and froth'
The Week Recommends Adaptation of Mary Lovell's biography examines the scandalous lives of the aristocratic sisters
-
F1: The Movie – a fun but formulaic 'corporate tie-in'
Talking Point Brad Pitt stars as a washed up racing driver returning three decades after a near-fatal crash
-
Lost Boys: a 'sobering' journey to the heart of the manosphere
The Week Recommends James Bloodworth examines the 'cranks and hucksters' making money through 'masculine discontent'
-
6 productivity-ready homes with great offices
Feature Featuring an office with a gas fireplace in Oregon and a shared workspace with wraparound windows in Massachusetts