Matthew Barney: No Restraint (2006)

Directed by

Alison Chernick

Genre

documentary film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 12m

Rating

4.4 of 10 from 7 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This documentary follows artist Matthew Barney and musician Björk as they create a film in Japan. It shows their unusual artistic process combining a whaling ship, lots of petroleum jelly, and Japanese traditions.

observationalcerebralclinicalslow-paceddeliberateintimatefocused

What happens

Matthew Barney: No Restraint is a 2006 documentary directed by Alison Chernick. It follows artist Matthew Barney (best known for The Cremaster Cycle) and his collaborator, singer-songwriter Björk, as they embark on a filmmaking journey in Japan. It reveals Barney's process in creating Drawing Restraint 9, a cinematic "piece" that combines a whaling vessel; 45,000 pounds of petroleum jelly; and traditional Japanese rituals into a fantasy love story. It premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and had its theatrical release in December 2006 after being acquired by IFC/The Weinstein Company. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 50% of 22 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Matthew Barney: No Restraint makes an honest attempt to illuminate its subject's provocative work, but ultimately fails to capture its inspiration or appeal." (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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