There are rock documentaries that follow formula and then there are others that use the band as a backdrop for something else. Tom Berninger is the younger brother of Matt, lead singer for The National. His brother invited him on tour, ostensibly to be a roadie--it didn't go well, but a documentary came out of it. Mistaken For strangers is a very real and honest look at a band, but more importantly a look at the dynamic between two brothers, one an ascendant rock star, the other, nine years younger and a bit lost. What do you do when success, direction in life even, eludes you and you live in the shadow of a sibling doing well? There is a lot to think about after watching this film.
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