The Brooklyn based indie rock band “The National” is a band of brothers: Bryan Devendorf (drums) and Scott Devendorf (bass), as well as the two guitarists, Bryce and Aaron Dessner, who are twins. This leaves only the group’s lead singer, Matt Berninger, alone in a sea of sibling love. Or is he?
Many were surprised to learn, through the debut of the band’s first rock doc, Mistaken For Strangers, that Matt does in fact have a brother, a lovable and aimless one at that. Mistaken for Strangers showcases the two in a struggle between work and family, success and failure, self-doubt and perseverance, all while crammed together on a tour bus. It is a moving film of contrast and of unity.
Tom Berninger, nine years younger than Matt, can be described as a pizza dependent, metal loving, easygoing, slacker videographer and artist. He is all about drinking beer and having a good time, and stands in stark contrast to his suave older brother, the brooding front man of The National who has charmed the world with his dark and intricate lyrics paired with his baritone voice for decades now.
The juxtaposition between the two brothers is the backbone of the film, created by Tom while he was on tour with the band as (a disastrous) roadie. The film takes us through the tour experience from Tom’s perspective, who struggles with getting the job done (and eventually gets fired), with commitment and finding a purpose, and with the old familiar feeling of being the underdog.
The whole thing started when Matt invited Tom to come on tour with the band as a way to get him out of their hometown, Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was unemployed and living with their parents. Matt missed his brother, but also wanted to push him out of the unproductive slump he was in. There was talk about shooting footage, but nobody in the band ever really thought anything resembling a film would come of it.
This film is different from most other rock docs as it is very much focused on Matt and Tom’s relationship, and not on the rest of the band members, or the journey of the band itself. If you are as much a fan of the other members as I am, this can come as a slightly jarring surprise.
However, with this non-traditional focus, there is space for us to experience an unrivaled intimacy that could only be illuminated by a younger brother who has spent his entire life standing in the shadow of Matt Berninger.
It is touching to both hardcore fans and people who are hearing about The National for the first time, as it is an illumination of different humans trying to co-exist. In the words of Matt, it’s a film that “digs into the awkward truth of how we relate to each other.”
