The Nowhere Inn is located in Annie Clark, A.K.A. pop star postmodern guitar St. Vincent and Carrie Braunstein of Portland and Slytherin-Keane fame, who shifted their efforts from music to film. The film initially premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2020 and is now available on Hulu and for rent or purchase on Apple TV and other streaming services. Written by Clark and Braunstein and directed by the director of the first film Bill Benz, this fake touring documentary explores art, identity, and fame and sometimes includes live performances at St. Vincent.
A white extension limousine drove on a desert road.
Annie Clark is in the back seat. The limousine driver said he didn’t know who he was. “That’s great,” Clark replied politely, “I’m not for everyone”. A moment later, she cut him off and said, “Hey, I called my son. He’s in the group, and he said he had never heard of you.”
Annie Clark is St. Vincent, and St. Vincent is Annie Clark. But then again, right? What begins as a touring document becomes an existential depiction of art, artists, creative control, and even reality. Confused, isn’t it? Promotional material for The Nowhere Inn calls it a “metafictional feature”. And although it’s entirely written, there’s a lot of truth that goes through its fake story.
After David Lynch’s intro, Clark stares into the camera like an interrogated criminal. “Why is the film never finished?” he said. “All I can say that it is somewhere along the way, things went horribly wrong. It all started pretty simple; Clark asked “best friend” Braunstein” to make a touring documentary that would “remove the layers” and show who he is.
However, as the tour progressed, the director and test subjects were frustrated by the split between St. Vincent, a s*xy old rock singer, and Clark, a thoughtful artist. He manages the behind-the-scenes revelry of fresh vegetables and scrabbles. Avoid gambling. Braunstein asked Annie to look more like her stage character, be “more interesting”, and thus unleash the monsters.
While Clark wears sunglasses, smokes and indulges in s*x shots and diva behaviour, Braunstein loses control of the film, his girlfriend, and his sense of reality. The group’s tour bus turns into a dance club with everyone wearing the corner wigs from St. Vincent. “We hang in there,” Clark told Braunstein. Are we? He asked back. “Um, um,” Clark muttered, “Me and me.”
Fantasy and reality intersect in seductive ways.
Clark organizes a fake family reunion in Texas. “It’s me,” he said. Braunstein then closed his eyes and took him to prison, where his father was imprisoned to provoke a natural reaction. Clark grew up in Texas, and his father took the time to cheat. “That’s why I made music to get out of there,” he called out to Braunstein and pointed to the prison. “But you can’t invent everything and expect people to get involved,” says Braunstein. Who addresses the endless artistic debate about fakeness and authenticity. “Well, then I’d like to make a different kind of film,” Clark replied. Indeed he has.
Annie Clark is perfect at describing herself. Seriously, however, her comedic moments and tone are impeccable. Although her performances are purposefully orchestrated. She’s a natural in front of the camera, quickly switching between the various manifestations of her personality and personality. He should act more.
Like David Bowie, Madonna and Prince before him, St Vincent’s Art Arch is a constant rediscovery. And like him, he has managed to bridge the uncertain gap between music and film. Their music is challenging and approachable, like The Nowhere Inn, which combines excellent ideas into comedy thrillers but never rises to the top.
Interestingly enough, when making a fictional story about St. Vincent:
Braunstein and Clark’s artists have created a piece that reveals so much about the man below. When Braunstein says at the end of the film: “I don’t know who you are anymore”, Clark replies: “I know who I am. What would happen if someone else did?” Apart from lofty ideals of identity, this film ultimately succeeds because it is well written, has good acting and captivating visuals.
The Nowhere Inn charm is excellent and appeals to St. Vincent and Portland. Where so many movies are just trying to entertain us. Clark and Braunstein have created something to think about and laugh about.