20,000 Days on Earth (2014)

Writer and musician Nick Cave marks his 20,000th day on the planet Earth.

Directors:

Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard

Writers:

Nick Cave, Iain Forsyth

Stars:

Nick Cave, Susie Bick, Warren Ellis

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 8 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nick Cave	...	Nick Cave
Susie Bick	...	Susie Cave (as Susie Cave)
Darian Leader	...	Darian Leader
Warren Ellis	...	Warren Ellis
Ray Winstone	...	Ray Winstone
Blixa Bargeld	...	Blixa Bargeld
Kylie Minogue	...	Kylie Minogue
Arthur Cave	...	Arthur Cave
Earl Cave	...	Earl Cave
Thomas Wydler	...	Thomas Wydler
Martyn Casey	...	Martyn Casey
Conway Savage	...	Conway Savage
Jim Sclavunos	...	Jim Sclavunos
Barry Adamson	...	Barry Adamson
George Vjestica	...	George Vjestica

Storyline

Drama and reality combine in a fictitious 24 hours in the life of musician and international cultural icon Nick Cave. With startlingly frank insights and an intimate portrayal of the artistic process, the film examines what makes us who we are, and celebrates the transformative power of the creative spirit.

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | reference to religion | reference to transvestism | reference to skinheads | reference to nina simone | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Drama | Music

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Certificate:

M

Did You Know?

Quotes

Nick Cave: The first time I saw Susie was at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and when she came walking in, all the things I had obsessed over for all the years - pictures of movies stars, Jenny Agutter in the billabong, Anita Ekberg in the fountain, Ali MacGraw in her black tights, images from the TV when I was a kid, Barbara Eden and Elizabeth Montgomery and Abigail, Miss World competitions, Marilyn Monroe and Jennifer Jones and Bo Derek and Angie Dickinson as Police Woman, Maria Falconetti and ...

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Crazy Credits

The credits are shown over a twilight scene of Brighton, shot from the sea.

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Connections

Features The Proposition (2005)

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Soundtracks

Can't Get You Out of My Head
Written by Cathy Dennis and Rob Davis (as Robert Davis)
Performed by Kylie Minogue
Published by EMI Music Publishing Ltd and Universal/MCA Music Ltd
Licensed courtesy of Parlophone Records Ltd

User Reviews

Nick Cave is a pretty cool guy

The world abounds with concert films and other documentaries with no greater ambition than following a famous person around for a while. These films are usually easy to put in the "superfans only" category. But maybe that wouldn't be the case if they were more like 20, 000 Days on Earth. All I can say is that, as someone who has one Nick Cave album but no vast devotion to the guy, I was entertained throughout.

Part of this is simply the beauty of the images -- the directors make even the most mundane scene stun on the screen. The film takes place across one mostly ordinary day in Nick Cave's life, purportedly the 20000th, and much of the runtime is taken up by fascinating conversations Cave has with friends and collaborators. There are a lot of stagey scenes that don't hide their constructedness, such as a filmed therapy session, or a meta- cinematic moment where at the behest of the film's producers Cage goes through old pictures that will soon become part of the opening montage. And then there is the obligatory concert footage, shot in a dynamic fashion that manages to pick up all of Cave's subtle interactions with the front row and the looks of desperate adoration on the audience's faces.

All of this would be for naught if Cave wasn't a fascinating subject. He plays the brooding poet here, providing ominous narration throughout the film, but there are also humanizing scenes where he watches TV with his sons or grumpily bosses around a children's choir (one of the more surreal moments here). It may be more charisma than intellect, but damn if I couldn't listen to Nick Cave talk for days. For all the directorial skill brought to 20, 000 Days on Earth, its greatest virtue may be in simply allowing us to experience two hours of Cave.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Showtimes

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 August 2014 (New Zealand)

Also Known As:

20,000 Days on Earth

Filming Locations:

Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$27,879, 21 September 2014

Gross USA:

$279,558

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,105,558

Company Credits

Production Co:

Corniche Pictures, British Film Institute (BFI), Film4

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1