Neil Procter Most reviews cite this as being an accidental success. If that is true isn't there an implication that spending years learning a craft and perfecting it is unnecessary? What I saw when I watched this movie was a sibling who was being indulged by his family and his brother's band members, and this afforded him the chance to film the band's world tour. What he did, however, in classic narcissist style,was film himself most of the time. Organisation and planning were concepts he had no idea about. When he interviewed the band members he not only had no questions prepared, he could't actually think of any. He was employed to be a roadie but avoided this responsibility to the point where he lied about completing tasks and was eventually fired by his brother. There was no indication that this thirty something had any kind of job history. In fact, truth be told, the film - his own film mind you - presents him as intellectually challenged. When asked to give an idea of what he'd filmed so far he showed a previous film he'd made - a rank amateur schlock horror movie that a ten year old might make. To their credit, his brother and the members of The National were incredibly tolerant of him. He didn't understand that 'celebrities' at a private gathering might not wish to be filmed because they were filmed all the time in public. At another time he stated that he felt alienated from the band and didn't know why. Well, if you worked for twenty years in any career, banking, computing, taxidermy, whatever,and built up your knowledge and experience, ascended the ladder of success, made yourself known, and then brought your brother into work, wouldn't he be bound to feel alienated; he has no idea what is going on?In summation, it is an indulgent movie made by a sibling who has not taken time to learn how to film or make a film. To laugh at it is to laugh at handicap.

I_actually_am_sam Wow, this was not what I expected. I haven't laughed this hard at a documentary since Michael Moore stopped doing them. Briefly, it's loosely based on Matt Berninger's brother Tom's attempts to make a movie about the band.I have to admit, I had to suppress my inner cynic at many points (who's doing all the filming of Tom? Who's idea was it to come on tour really? Is he really that thick??) but whoever came up with the idea of having Tom do this obviously had some idea what the results would be. I mean one meeting with Tom would have indicated that he would not be capable in pulling together some kind of coherent documentary. As they say, it takes a very smart person to act dumb. But then again some people are just dumb.When Tom is behind the camera he is strangely reminiscent of Jack Black at his bratty best. He's disappointed that being on tour with a rock band is actually quite boring. He doesn't really have much interest in any band members other than his brother and he uses these conversations to try and understand his relationship with his brother a bit better. The most arresting scenes are when Matt loses it with Tom - they feel very real and you know you are watching that fraternal relationship that has a lot of history.I love the National but, to be honest, that's of little consequence. Love them or hate them, you will laugh at this (very short) film.

debduo Highly recommend this documentary. It is real and fresh and raw all at the same time. Taps into the human element with emotion and heart. One of the most real movies you may ever see. Don't take it too serious, you will be pleasantly surprised and delighted. Sibling rivalry and seeing how we don't measure up in our families from our parent's and siblings perspective is all confronted in this movie. You will laugh and cry for the characters, they explore how to live life and what is important in life. Very well worth your time. It makes you see the glamorous and drudgery of being in a successful band and what it takes to make it all happen. Ostensibly while looking at the band and its creative process we are given a beautiful look into the organic process of the brother and how he sabotages himself along the way and comes out the other end with a great movie as the result.

truedis Saw this at the premiere/National concert at the Shrine in LA on Tuesday 3/25/2014. This is the story of Matt Berninger, lead singer of the National's younger brother (by 9 years) Tom attempting (and succeeding) to make a documentary of the band on tour. It mostly plays out as a story of brotherly love & jealousy, but always with a good-natured and humorous bent. Tom is a goofy kid-stuck-in-a-man's-body who has a history of quitting things before he's finished them, and Matt seems determined to see him finish this project, even if it means risking the public perception of his band. The audience was in uproarious laughter throughout the whole thing, and everyone seemed surprised at what a genuine portrait it was of not only the band, but of how a regular family's dynamics change when one member is throw into the spotlight. Highly recommended.