This ingenious mockumentary plays things straight up to a certain point. Where truth and fiction mix is uncertain and who is in on the joke is uncertain as well. All the characters in the film play themselves or exaggerated/mocking versions of themselves.
The premise is that famed German director Werner Herzog, who deals with grand characters in both his fiction and documentary films, is setting out to make a new documentary about the myth of the Loch Ness monster. Zak Penn, the writer of X2 and LAST ACTION HERO, is the producer on the doc. He hires big time feature cinematographer Gabriel Beristain, who worked on films like BLADE II and THE RING TWO. As this film is being made, cinematographer John Bailey, whose credits include AS GOOD AS IT GETS and GROUNDHOG DAY, is making a documentary about Herzog.
Herzog wants Penn to bring in a credible, but kooky expert on Nessie. Penn finds Michael Karnow, a man with a suitcase of strange unidentified specimens, who really irritates the boat’s veteran captain David A. Davidson. The film kicks off with interviews with Herzog and a party, which includes guests like Ricky Jay and Jeff Goldblum. As the film gets into production, we start to see that Penn has something different planned for his first produced film than the auteur Herzog might not want. This becomes really clear when Playboy model Kitana Baker shows up as the sonar operator.
The film is a sly satire on the lines between fact and fiction in film even when dealing with documentaries. Herzog is completely natural, making it even more difficult to determine at what point the film becomes complete fiction. Penn does an admirable job creating the typical Hollywood type. As the director and writer of the film, one must commend his self-deprecating sense of humor. His matching jumpsuits for the expedition are classic.
The film is well paced, taking its time as it builds to its ending that reminded me of the brilliance of ADAPTATION. Some parts are too on the nose and ruin the veneer of fake reality, but the film redeems itself with some laugh out loud funny moments. One doesn’t need to know the real people in the film to enjoy it, but knowing more about them going in will make the experience ten fold better. The film is a wonderful surprise that made me laugh harder than any film has done in a long time.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
