It’s rare that a film catches you off guard, one second you’re having a good time and suddenly there’s a shift, the mood changes and you realise that you are welling up, you’re invested. As rare as this feeling is nowadays in movies, it’s also one of the best things you can feel.
Mistaken for Strangers is the hilarious and touching documentary from Tom Berninger. The film follows Tom as he joins his brother Matt and the rest of the band The National on their 2010 tour. With their biggest tour yet the band is at an all time high but bringing Tom on board adds a new more dynamic to the mix, The dueling ambitions of siblings.
Tom is a joy to watch as his brother’s fame inspires him in his quest to make his kooky documentary and prove just as talented. It also brings a sad tension between the brothers though, as their creative ideas clash and Tom falls back into little brother mode. Tom becomes lazy, drinks too much and is eventually fired by the band having to face up to his actions. In questioning family and facing up to the pressures he feels have been placed on him by his brother’s rising fame, we get to the very heart of this movie, the relationship between Matt and Tom.
The last half of the film is a beautiful awakening for both of the brothers as Tom realizes his family have great faith in him and are just waiting for him to apply himself, and Matt realizes that touring with a band comprised mostly of brothers has made him miss Tom over time and that getting him to come on tour was really an effort to reconnect with a brother he’s lost a kinship with.
This movie is funny, sweet and incredibly honest and that’s its absolute charm. If you’re a fan of The National or just love a good documentary this is an absolute must.
10/10
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