Rock n' Roll Nerd (2008)

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

This "movie" just felt like a marketing tool for Tim Minchin...it felt terribly fake....the most obviously dumb bit was his show at Gilded Balloon...this is the most famous comedy venue at the most famous comedy festival in the world and the movie tried to play it like a little show in Edinburgh.I must admit that I don't find Tim Minchin funny...everything from his overworked & "borrowed" appearance* to his rather lame and empty comedy. His songs are a kinda lazy trick found very commonly in the slam or performance poetry world of simply finding a list that rhymes...I've heard that his live shows have a lot more trad' stand up and is actually above average...I wish a little more of this had been shown...this fact again makes me think the whole thing was a well constructed marketing ploy....get the songs in peoples heads and then get them to buy the comedy...people seem to find songs funnier on repeat than jokes....clever, but marketing none the less.Well acted (I think it was acted) and well made...worth a watch, but I hope you see through it.*Yeah..I know he addresses this in the movie, but that to me also feels fake and I wonder if the re-styling was even his idea?

I've re-watched this movie several times now and not sure quite what makes it so mesmerising. I think it's Minchin's honesty, the trust that he so clearly has in the director and the amount of investment, dedication, focus and application for a project which, at several points in the journey, everyone must have thought would never come to fruition. That, and the transformation that Minchin goes through. The superficial make-over and changes to his appearance are one thing but more fundamentally, the passionately coveted affirmation transforms him from the hugely talented but nervously trying too hard comedic singer songwriter into the relaxed, confident, accomplished performer he is today. And star he has undoubtedly become, seemingly effortlessly holding audiences of several thousand spellbound. I can't help wondering if Rhian Skirving's relentless faith in him somehow contributed to his success. Minchin's career is still in its infancy. I'm certain that in years to come, this documentary will become a cult film.

This movie showed the benefit of a director and a producer being in the right place at the right time and choosing a wildfire talent.I liked the way the movie was edited so that you got quite an intimate view of Tim's life without intruding too far. I also liked the regular inclusion of Tim's performances. He really is audacious, controversial and thoughtful in his work.The progression thru the Edniburgh festival was exciting to watch as Tim's success unfurled. The love between the Tim and his wife also seemed sincere and passionate and was captured clearly.The originality of the movie stems from the fact that film-makers started to capture the story before the subject had succeeded and became famous. Many films show a retrospective view of a star's success this one captured the birth of his career.

Pieced together from footage taken over a period of three years, Rock N Roll Nerd follows WA musician and comedian Tim Minchin. Let down technically by low-quality footage this is nonetheless an engaging portrait of Minchin's rise from obscurity to international celebrity. His funny, personal story is told through behind-the-scenes footage, home films and interviews. It's a coming of age story for Minchin both personally and professionally as it documents the hard work, calculation and transformation of his stage persona that puts him on the road to success. After being awarded the inaugural Director's Choice award at the Melbourne Comedy festival Minchin is invited to take part in the Edinburgh Fringe and we follow the difficulties and eventual triumphs of the journey. Minchin is extremely candid. He documents his whole life and his thoughts in his complexly structured comic songs and brings the same honesty to the camera. Not one to shy away from controversy Minchin doesn't mind being offensive if he really cares about the (touchy) subject he's addressing. Minchin claims to have an insatiable craving to be affirmed by more people. I think this film will build his live audiences and help to achieve just that.