SXSW film review
Conan O'Brien Can't Stop
Director: Rodman Flender Did Conan O'Brien go on tour to connect with his fans or fill a void within himself? Rodman Flender’s documentary captures an artist trained in improvisation at the most improvisational time of his career. (World Premiere)
WHO'S IT FOR? Anyone who respects comedians and wants to know their inner thought processes.
OVERALL
Can't stop. Nope. He can't. Not only does this showcase that, it really dives into the concept of a performance. Conan O'Brien bares some scars and is a prime example of how much energy it takes to put on a show and how hard it is to turn off. Heck, even the few moments it shows him with his children, the man is performing.
This documentary chronicles the time after Conan O'Brien is pulled off the air at NBC and the comedy road trip that transpired across America. The access we're granted puts us right there when O'Brien and his staff announce the tour, attempt to sell tickets and then figure out what they're going to do on stage.
O'Brien very opening is working through his anger, but he's doing it as the funny man that he is. That means he's recreating an Eddie Murphy Raw purple suit. That means he's hiring backup dancers. That also means he's sometimes cutting down his assistant. She's just trying to please him, and we're lucky enough to be there as he makes it very tough for her. While that was consistently enjoyable, what had me crying with joy was when Jack McBrayer from "30 Rock" shows up and is teases/plays along with O'Brien's antics.
As for some complaints, I could have used more Andy Richter. Clearly O'Brien likes to have him along for the ride, but we don't get many moments of them together. Also, the audio quality wasn't great. I really don't think it was the theater I was in. The loudness typically came with a high pitch.
This isn't just a concert performance, though O'Brien clearly has a love of playing music. This is behind the scenes action. So while we do get to see Eddie Vedder and Jack Black hanging with O'Brien on stage, the film is at its best when we see what O'Brien goes through off.
FINAL SCORE: 8/10