Truth and fiction collide as celebs and a therapist pull Nick Cave out of comfort zone in 20,000 Days on Earth
20,000 DAYS on Earth: Nick Cave lets us in on some secrets, and slams the door on others, as celebs and a therapist pull him out of his comfort zone.
Leigh Paatsch
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DON’T show up after the first three minutes of 20,000 Days on Earth, a new documentary on Nick Cave.
Otherwise you’ll miss a rapid-fire capsule of the previous 19,999 days in the life of the seminal Australian singer-songwriter.
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If you’re not a Cave fan, this opening sequence is crucial, as it is as close as the film comes to delivering straight factual data on the man.
In an appropriately unconventional move — bearing in mind Cave’s career has rarely conformed to mainstream norms — directors Jane Pollard and Iain Forsyth have framed their work as “a mythical, yet contemporary day in the life” of their subject.
In the 24 hours covered, Cave will let the audience in on some secrets, and slam the door on others.
At times, his famously mysterious creative process is laid bare for the first time. On other occasions, he is clearly covering his tracks in a bid to keep his followers at a distance.
Truth collides with fiction throughout, as does the obvious charisma of the man with the enduring enigma of his work.
There are two narrative spines to the film, both archly contrived to permit Cave to be an active participant in proceedings, rather than just sit there and have his ego stroked.
In the first scenario, Cave drives a car around a cold and rainy Brighton on the south coast of England.
Past collaborators such as ex-Bad Seeds bandmate Blixa Bargeld, actor Ray Winstone and fellow Australian music icon Kylie Minogue often materialise in the back seat for open-ended conversations about their time together.
These improvised chats are best when confessional in nature. You can tell Cave is well out of his comfort zone and genuinely reacting in the moment at such times.
The second scenario has Cave visiting a therapist who is not afraid to push for some unfiltered responses from his patient.
Some lines of questioning — his past as a junkie, and his relationship with his late father — penetrate Cave’s outer layer of cool in a subtle, yet incisive way.
20,000 Days on Earth
Director: Jane Pollard, Iain Forsyth
Starring: Nick Cave, Kylie Minogue, Ray Winstone, Blixa Bargeld, Warren Ellis
Verdict: Three stars. All in a Nick of time
Originally published as Truth and fiction collide as celebs and a therapist pull Nick Cave out of comfort zone in 20,000 Days on Earth
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