Film Review: Anonymous Club Preview and Q&A

Image courtesy of Eoghan Earls. All other images courtesy of Nicole Hurren and Anonymous Club.

“The Journey is understanding what the purpose is… I think everyone struggles with that journey.” – Courtney Barnett.

Courtney Barnett is a Melbourne-based, internationally renowned singer-songwriter. She found international success in 2014 with the release of her double EP: A Sea of Split Peas, following up with the highly acclaimed Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Think, featuring some of her biggest singles to date: ‘Pedestrian at Best’ and ‘Depreston’. Barnett showed her ability to charm listeners with her bluesy, energetic instrumentals, topped with intimate, relatable lyrics delivered in an almost spoken word manner. These elements come together to make a very nostalgic, honest couple of albums.

Following a collaborative LP with Kurt Vile in 2017, Courtney released Tell Me How You Really Feel in May 2018. It’s a thematically dense LP, touching on everything from mental health to sexism and violence. There is a wide spectrum of style on this album, with very dynamic songs like the opener, ‘Hopefulness’ and ‘Need a Little Time’ which build up from slow, melancholic guitars to a point of explosive release. The album also has Courtney’s heaviest song to date; “I’m Not Your Mother, I’m Not Your Bitch” which is a short, therapeutic burst of anger. My favourite song ‘City Looks Pretty’ is a whirlwind of noisy guitars and synths, while still retaining Courtney’s familiar bouncing guitar progressions. This album as a whole is roaring and energetic but with tender passages throughout. 

Following which, Courtney and band released an MTV unplugged live album in 2019, full of stripped back versions from Courtney’s catalogue and a few covers with some friends and big artists, one of whom is Paul Kelly! This side project was a wonderful opportunity to hear some alternate takes on some classic songs and allow Barnett to indulge in quieter, acoustic songs.

Cut to November 2021 for the release of Courtney Barnett’s next studio album Things Take Time, Take Time. Compared to previous albums, this one feels like a step back in the best way possible. Instead of fuzzed out, screaming guitars and thunderous drums, this album leans towards her subtler song writing. The songs seem more optimistic and at peace than previous albums. There is a larger presence of quirky drum machines and bouncy synthesizers. The resulting effect of the album is one of a calming experience, with catchy choruses and danceable beats, prevalent clearly in my favourite song; ‘Before You Gotta Go’. 

Originally scheduled to premiere in August 2021, Anonymous Club couldn’t make it to cinemas until March 2022. The film is directed and filmed by Danny Cohen, who followed Courtney for roughly three years, recounting Courtney's experiences dealing with her rise to fame. The film begins just after the release of Tell Me How You Really Feel, and the subsequent year-long, intense tour the band went through. The movie’s strongest theme is definitely Courtney’s mental health, which fluctuates throughout.

The atmosphere of the film was very comforting, it felt somewhat like being a fly on the wall. With only occasional prompts or questions from Danny, Courtney most of the time seemed to be directly addressing the audience, even looking down the camera to commentate. This gave the movie a personable feel, like Courtney was relating directly to you. The audio diaries that captured Courtney’s feelings were a beautiful way of getting the first person reactions to her mental state. It is a credit to both Courtney and Danny to allow such an intimate look into someone’s life like this. The quiet scenes where we see Courtney’s struggles with touring and writers block after she gets home, were some of the most endearing sections as the film was seemingly so unfiltered and raw.

These themes were also echoed throughout the Q&A after the movie with Danny and Courtney, with questions mainly relating to mental health and how Courtney’s art had helped people through tough times. The Q&A also peeled back the logistics of the film and how big of an undertaking it was, with Danny editing together years of work and trying to find thematic strings to connect together the sections of the film.

The movie draws to a close as Courtney begins to write and record for her next album, Things Take Time, Take Time. This was my favourite part of the movie as we begin to see Courtney’s mindset and drive going into a new project. Teaming up with Stella Mozgawa, of Warpaint fame, the scenes of them collaborating in the studio were a real treat. Seeing this with the added benefit of having listened to Things Take Time, Take Time, only furthers the experience as the audience gains more context as to why Courtney opted for the more toned down direction of this LP.

“I don’t think I can yell anymore” – Courtney Barnett.

It is a treat to be able to see a movie like this. For such a seemingly introverted artist, like Courtney Barnett, to agree to a project that is so personal, makes this film a must watch for fans. However, Anonymous Club has something for everyone as we get to witness relatable day-to-day struggles from the perspective of a successful international musician.

Anonymous Club is screening in cinemas nationally from the 17th of March 2022. For tickets and more info, visit the official website here.