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Friday, June 24, 2011

MOVIE REVIEW
Conan O'Brien Can't Stop
At Home On The Stage, But Not A Moment's Peace Off It


Conan O'Brien, who is followed by filmmaker Rodman Flender in the documentary "Conan O'Brien Can't Stop".  Ann Johansson/The New York Times
 
by Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com        FOLLOW
Friday, June 24, 2011

It's clear that Conan O'Brien is still smarting from the ignominious exit from "The Tonight Show", forced by NBC in January 2010, and a snarkier side of the entertainer is more than glimpsed in Rodman Flender's documentary "Conan O'Brien Can't Stop", which opened today across the U.S.

Mr. Flender's cameras follow the towering six-foot-four former host of "Late Night" and "Tonight" and current host of "Conan" on his 35-show, 30-cities U.S. tour last year, or rather as he might describe it, his catharsis. 

Essentially a 'Conan Unplugged', "Can't Stop" captures Mr. O'Brien in various unguarded moments: irritable, petulant, exhausted and angered at times by the procession of fawning fans to his dressing room post-variety show, he seems suffocated and boxed in by his own fame.  Yet the comedian has a strong love-hate relationship with his fame.  He's addicted to performing whether on stage or off, and the truth of his obsessive need to do so is offered ever so briefly but plainly in isolated moments.  In one episode he intones that he realizes that he'll have to stop doing what he does. 

The documentary features footage from numerous stops on Mr. O'Brien's "Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television Tour", and some of the special guests who participate in it.  Some of the guests look oddly ordinary next to Mr. O'Brien.  Andy Richter, his enduring, trusty sidekick, offers his own two cents mostly as a secondary raconteur, as does Mr. O'Brien's long-time assistant, whom he gently chastises as he gets ready for another two-plus hours of hyperactive multitasking on stage.  In one of the film's relatively relaxed scenes Mr. O'Brien discusses the logistics of introducing acts for a Bonnaroo show.  He looks like he'd rather be somewhere else.

To his credit Mr. O'Brien doesn't attempt to be ingratiating for Mr. Flender's sake, and while we get to see another side of the immensely popular entertainer we don't necessarily come away learning anything new about him.  It may stand to reason that many entertainers neither envy nor appreciate aspects of their fame, or some of the overly rabid fans who come with it, but Mr. O'Brien is hardly the first to have doubts about his comfort level with stardom.  Still, "Conan O'Brien Can't Stop" is riveting, tense and unpredictable.

Despite understandable fatigue the late night host is seen backstage to be genuine and generous with his legions of fans however, whether tired of them or not.  He's kind, gracious and tirelessly hospitable as he poses for photos holding a banana "as an inside joke".  It's part of his fame "act" and his true politeness but often the two are indistinguishable.  The film captures all the ups and the downs of Conan, and the statement he made in January 2010 for young people not to be cynical is often put to the test for Mr. O'Brien himself on camera.  ("I hate cynicism", he said in part in the same statement last year after leaving NBC.)

Often funny, "Conan O'Brien Can't Stop" is at times painful (a couple of Mr. O'Brien's minders make jaw-dropping and offensive comments about racial and ethnic groups.)  By contrast Mr. O'Brien himself takes time to scold a fan in Alberta, Canada who uses an anti-Jewish slur in his presence.  Throughout the film there's a distancing from Mr. O'Brien, even in the most intimate moments.  Mr. Flender shoots some scenes in relatively low light, so there's a murky quality at times.  I was intrigued nonetheless, by the other "non-Conan" side of Mr. O'Brien.

Mr. Flender's documentary is certainly worth a look whether or not you are a Conan fan.  Ironically, I think die-hard Conan fans are less likely to appreciate it than casual or indifferent observers.  Conan is often showcased unremarkably and in moods his fans may not be familiar or even comfortable with.  But that is what makes "Can't Stop" a source of fascination.  In any event, the film's release timing is clever if unintended; Mr. O'Brien's ratings for his "Conan" show on TBS cable television are moderate, and Mr. Flender's film may bring people into the fold who can afford a $10 ticket but can't afford basic cable. 

Years ago one late night I saw Mr. O'Brien up close walking his small dog on the Upper West Side in Manhattan.  He seemed very focused and different from the Conan on television -- but of course, he was engaging in his daily life away from the camera.  (Mr. Flender more or less records the matter-of-fact Conan I saw about 17 years ago.)

"Conan O'Brien Can't Stop" captures a man bothered by the politics of television and show business and perplexed by his place in and among it all.  At times he desperately wants to stop the train and get off, but it has long since left the station.

With: A whole host of celebrities and personalities you will instantly recognize.

"Conan O'Brien Can't Stop" is rated R by the Motion Picture Association Of America for language.  The film's running time is one hour and 29 minutes.

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