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".
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
-
San Francisco tackles affordability problems with free child careThe Explainer The free child care will be offered to thousands of families in the city
-
How realistic is the Democratic plan to retake the Senate this year?TODAY’S BIG QUESTION Schumer is growing bullish on his party’s odds in November — is it typical partisan optimism, or something more?
-
Taxes: It’s California vs. the billionairesFeature Larry Page and Peter Thiel may take their wealth elsewhere
-
The Curious Case of Mike Lynch: an ‘excellent, meticulously researched’ biographyThe Week Recommends Katie Prescott’s book examines Lynch’s life and business dealings, along with his ‘terrible’ end
-
Can You Keep a Secret? Dawn French’s new comedy is a ‘surprising treat’The Week Recommends Warm, funny show about an insurance scam is ‘beautifully performed’
-
Hamnet: a ‘slick weepie’ released in time for Oscar glory?Talking Point Heartbreaking adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel has a ‘strangely smooth’ surface
-
The 8 best spy movies of all timethe week recommends Excellence in espionage didn’t begin — or end — with the Cold War
-
Book reviews: ‘The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else’s Game’ and ‘The Sea Captain’s Wife: A True Story of Mutiny, Love, and Adventure at the Bottom of the World’Feature Comparing life to a game and a twist on the traditional masculine seafaring tale
-
Brigitte Bardot: the bombshell who embodied the new FranceFeature The actress retired from cinema at 39, and later become known for animal rights activism and anti-Muslim bigotry
-
Scoundrels, spies and squires in January TVthe week recommends This month’s new releases include ‘The Pitt,’ ‘Industry,’ ‘Ponies’ and ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’
-
Giving up the boozeFeature Sobriety is not good for the alcohol industry.