The story of nineties indie band King Loser, and their chaotic final tour.
I had never heard of this band before I saw a promo for the fundraiser for this documentary
I like watching docs about subjects I have no prior knowledge in. Often it is not about learning information, but capturing something of capturing an essence of the subject.
Vibe is key to King Loser.
I was overseas during the period they existed, and my familiarity with NZ music was largely restricted to whatever I heard on the radio. I am fixating on this element because I left the film wanting a little more in the way of music.
This might just be personal taste - and a little bit of whiplash from being in the band’s company for so long.
Directors Chris Moore and Cushla Dillon gave a Q&A after my screening, and Moore - who filmed their final tour in 2016 - admitted that he found it emotionally draining to be in the centre of their explosive dynamic.
Taking a fly-on-the-way approach, these chunks of the film are confronting
There is no subtext: Each member - principally Chris Hazelwood and Celina Mancini/Patel - is open about their arguments and grievances. Patel passed away in 2017, so one of the band’s key voices only takes an abridged (albeit pivotal) role in the film.
Maybe my qualified endorsement comes from the fact that the filmmakers are fans.
The film’s success lies in channelling the band in all their contradictory, sweet-and-sour glory. While the film uses the final tour as an arc, the ending’s catharsis is muffled. It might have to do with how little of the tour we see.
The portrait they paint does not shy away from the band’s marmite appeal - but at points it felt too inside.
I felt like I needed more visuals and music, to show them at their best and worst. It often feels like we are being told rather than shown the band’s live presentation.
I was intrigued by the band’s process - and wanted a little more. In light of Patel’s disability (she suffered some serious injuries from a scooter accident a few years before the tour), I wanted to see how that impacted their music.
I left the film curious to learn more. But the film might resonate more with the faithful, then create new converts.
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