Rock n Roll Nerd
Melbourne International Film Festival (full coverage here)
July 27, July 30 and August 8, 2008

His face is made-up. His voice primed. Eyes lined. Hair: wild and flailing. The shirt, unbuttoned. But unbuttoned perfectly.

He is Tim Minchin, hero of Rhian Skirving’s feature documentary Rock n Roll Nerd.

This colourful film follows his rags-to-riches journey - from struggling in cabaret clubs in front of a handful of guests to his transformation into softly spoken, strangely dressed musical-comedy revelation.

Rock n Roll Nerd opens with said metamorphosis - the payoff immediate and profound. Minchin loses the curls in favour of chemically straightened hair, an idea that rests on a shaky ethos that “people pay more attention to weirdos”.

Of course, the experiment works. Accompanied by a new wardrobe and his wife’s loving support, Minchin polishes the act, and embarks on what becomes his last, best hope at making it big. In this case, he starts small - a vacant stage on the outskirts of Melbourne’s Internal Comedy Festival.

He’s noticed by an experienced producer-manager, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Meanwhile, this propulsion is documented by his close friend Rhian Skirving. She is restrained and sensitive, and Minchin is evidently comfortable with her presence; there are moments when it feels as though we’re chatting with an old friend. This level of access is what makes the documentary a success: we laugh as Minchin purports that his naiveté is a method of extracting information, we cry as we learn his wife has miscarried, and we’re on the edge of our seats as he confronts a 300-seat Edinburgh stage for the first time.

The film is interspersed with clips of Minchin’s act, providing much needed context; we realise that even as events shift his life in new directions, there’s a crowd at a sold-out show completely oblivious.

Fundamentally, Rock n Roll Nerd is an interesting portrait of a man - idiosyncratic, naturally smart, occasionally self-centred - who is forced to deal with his own success.

His ruminations surrounding the subject are humourous, often insightful, and sometimes heartbreaking. This is the voice of a man whose ambition is largely fulfilled, yet he yearns for balance between the purity of his art and that of his increasingly commercial nature.

All the while are the reviews and reviewers - faceless writers who control Minchin’s destiny. The good ones are treated with restrained elation; the bad ones precede borderline depression.

These implosions are absorbed by his loving wife, Sarah - whip-smart, self-effacing and completely devoted. Although she supports Minchin throughout his humble cabaret days, her true value is in her ability to halt his self-destruction and to ground his self-absorption. Theirs is a relationship in documentary against which there are few equals - and is so refreshingly frank in its portrayal that without it, the film may have fallen short.

Ultimately, comedy prevails, as Minchin tackles larger spectacles and more risqué content. His is a unique voice; insular, self-deprecative and disarmingly intelligent. Yet he learns how far he can go within his act, forging boundaries that perhaps never existed within the realm of musical-comedy. It is these experiences that help us gain insight into a comedian’s thought process - and prove to be some of the film’s most interesting moments.

Rock n Roll Nerd suffers from third act issues, however, relying on the usually effective baby-to-be-born climax. Oddly, this rightfully momentous event feels a little hollow; perhaps an overly sentimental finale for a man known for his brutal, eloquent truths.

These qualms are minor, though, as Rock n Roll Nerd remains an hilarious, moving and insightful tribute to the performer and the pursuance of a dream. And from Minchin’s humble beginnings to his ultimate personal success, his story is one that makes us ponder our own lives and marvel at the courage of a man whose success is self-made, gratifying, and ultimately, inspiring.

Click here for Laneway’s full coverage of the Melbourne International Film Festival.