With all the talk recently about a certain feature documentary’s box office take being bigger than any recent “concert doc”, it appears that filmgoers will get another cinematic “front-row seat” this weekend. Yes, it’s a feature documentary all around the preparations leading up to the first venue (building sets, creating effects, rehearsals, etc.), but we see very little of the big show, other than a pre-end credits montage. Oh, and it’s really a “mockumentary”, though it mixes real celebs with fictitious characters. However, those actual people are playing a “satiric” spin on their personas, much like in the recent Spinal Tap sequel, and HBO’s classic “The Larry Sanders Show” and the “future classic”, “The Studio” on AppleTV+. But it’s no surprise considering the film’s focus, as this snarky pop diva uses a new (to her) media to capture THE MOMENT.
That person is the Britain-born Charlie XCX (born Charlotte Emma Aitchison), who is at the center of a multi-media frenzy back in 2024 after proclaiming the warmer months as “the Summer of Brat”. We get a quick collection of clips with puzzled news anchors trying to figure out its meaning. That doesn’t concern her label, Atlantic Records, as they want to keep this “blitz” going well into the fall, while its creator wants to move on. But she’s got an arena tour coming up, so Charlie enlists her BFF Celeste (Hailey Benton Gates) to design the look of the big concerts. But that’s not enough for her exec at the label, Tammie (Rosanna Arquette), who sends two of her reps to guide the singer. First, they push her into doing a “cross-promotion” with a credit card company (the neon lime green plastic would appeal to the “young LGBT” demographic). But the label is really excited that they enlisted “hot’ filmmaking genius Johannes Godwin (Alexander Skarsgard) to document the backstory of the tour. Charlie’s feeling the pressure and decides to take a quick “recharge” trip to a swanky foreign locale. Unfortunately, Johannes makes a “power play” and takes the creative control of the show away from Celeste. After an encounter with another big media superstar at the resort, Charlie goes ahead with the new direction, tossing her original “vision”, and causing a strain with her pal. During this turmoil an international scandal erupts that puts Charlie XCX in the center of a cultural firestorm. Could this cancel the tour and extinguish her new “heat”?
I know I sound like a tired old “boomer”, but I had no knowledge of Charlie until her hosting gig last season on SNL. She did an excellent job there, which may explain her terrific comedy “chops”. She knows how to sell a joke effortlessly, and when to ramp up the energy (and that’s to match the overall frantic feel). I also saw her in a small role in the recent 100 NIGHTS OF HERO, so she can excel in character roles. I’ll be interested in seeing her follow-up work, either comedic, dramatic, or even an all-out musical (it seems she’s been making music shorts for nearly 15 years). The other pleasant surprise here is the “go-for-broke” funny turn by the usually stoic Skarsgard as the pretentious, bewildered film “visionary”, who has no end of hackneyed ideas and concepts (“you’ll be on wires, floating above your fans”). We get the impression that Johannes has done no real research on Charlie, as he implores her to engage in “crowd work” (“Happy to see you, where are you from?”). Now, this actor should be in an action film or superhero parody. Also very strong in the film, in more of a straight drama turn, is Gates as the dedicated artist who is sincerely concerned about how Charlie is handling fame. Her silent expressions as she realizes that her talents are being tossed aside provide the film with a touch of tragedy. I keep on thinking that if Emma Stone needs someone to play her sister in a flick, well… Screen vet Arquette also scores some laughs as the always annoyed “lady boss”. And we get great supporting work from Jamie Demetriou as “buried in his cell phone” aide Tim, Kate Berlant as snarky makeup artist and confidant Molly, and the bubbly Rachel Sennott as a hard-partying version of herself. Oh, I must commend Arielle Dombasle, who steals her single scene as a holistic masseuse with no patience for Charlie’s toxic “aura”.
The almost non-stop chaos of this flick is directed (perhaps conducted is more appropriate) by Aidan Zamiri, who also co-wrote it with Charlie and Bertie Brandes. Those with weak stomachs, be prepared for the extensive use of handheld cameras giving a real “fly on the wall” style, but also adding to the frenetic tension, making us yearn for a quiet spot (like Charlie’s talk with her oblivious driver). The plot is a wonderful satiric take on the constant bombardment by all of the media (talk about sensory overload). And the manic need to stay hip and relevant. And there’s a lot of that Spinal Tap ridiculousness, from the concert staging to the fervent fan worship. Kudos also to the script team for taking us in plenty of unexpected directions and not tying up the major conflicts with a dainty “let’s hug” bow. Going in with no expectations, this was quite a nice surprise during the winter doldrums. You could say that now in the movie world, Charlie XCX is enjoying THE MOMENT.
3 out of 4
THE MOMENT is now playing in theatres
