The Moment

I was reminded quite often of “Vox Lux” (2018) as this docudrama shines it’s spotlight on the fickleness and traumas of the music business. Charlie XCX plays herself as a young artist walking the tightrope of her own creative ambitions and the commercial expectations of the business that is making her a wealthy woman. With one successful album already under her belt she and her small team of confidantes now find the yanks taking more of an interest thanks to Rosanna Arquette’s non-nonsense record company boss “Tammy” - and that means a documentary of her build up to a live concert. She’s unconvinced, but so long as her creative director “Celeste” (Hailey Gates) is in charge, she will indulge. Ha! No chance. They have drafted in “Johannes” (Alexander Skarsgård) to beef things up, tones things down and channel her energies into something more akin to the glowing wristband experience of a Coldplay concert. Exasperated, she takes a break in Ibiza where she makes a fairly hefty online faux-pas that leaves her entirely exposed to the more venal elements of her industry and she, quite literally, dangling from the ceiling (or hiding in an eight foot tall cigarette lighter). I reckon this is really one for her fans, of whom there are plenty. For the rest of us, though, it doesn’t ever really catch fire. Lots of expletive-ridden dialogue, chain smoking and temper tantrums later I didn’t think this told me anything about the music business that I didn’t already know. If anything what this does illustrate is that when she had complete control as an aspiring singer-songwriter, she produced something heartfelt, honest and relevant to her audience. Now that the marketeers have got their hands on her, though, things lose their edge and become more generically sterilised. Is it supposed to be a satirical critique of her life or an all too realistic one? Perhaps she ought to have waited five years or so to make this and then she could have provided some more answers. As it is, it is little better than a well produced but fairly shallow dose of self-indulgence about someone whose endurance is yet to be tested by an exceptionally volatile consumer.

### Charli XCX’s archival ode to brat 💚: *What’s metaphorical cocaine?*

“THE MOMENT,” being a satirical film, is beyond fitting, considering how we went from saying “Kamala is brat” to feeling the unbearable weight of our current political climate, which promotes conservatism and regresses the liberties of women across the globe. ([For additional context](https://youtu.be/qk5EdMVbydU?is=BpnSSeBLm1Zv8YEK)) Yes, the interconnectedness of a pop album and its aesthetics to politics is already absurd, but that’s exactly why “THE MOMENT” exists. In a time when the life of a showgirl is the new standard, the life of a brat is portrayed as a gritty, high-stakes, overstimulating world thrust upon Charli XCX. The contrast between Charli’s beginnings to being a global phenomenon reveals how yearning for simpler times may make you vulnerable to avoiding inevitable assimilation. 

As a 365 party girl myself, I remember the magic of listening to the brat album while driving from an ex’s house. By the time I reached “i might say something stupid,” I understood the invitation Charli extended to her listeners. Her fear of failure, the pressure to become a mother and a mogul in her thirties, and the weight of the industry’s dubious affection coalesced into a wall she walked past at the bar before effectively saying, “Cult classic, but I still pop.” 

That feeling was not lost in this film; it simply showed us what was going on behind the scenes of Charli’s explosive success. The manufacturing of a pop star was depicted through lurid colors, throbbing bass, and the performances of domineering collaborators. However, its narrative suffers from pacing issues and only addresses, without examining, the sexism and biases Charli must’ve faced while navigating her newfound level of success. Despite “THE MOMENT” not offering a meaningful examination of the social issues presented in the story, it still delivers an overall brat-summer experience, establishing itself as an archival one.

The best way to screen this film is through vape smoke the night after a big party. “THE MOMENT” has all the makings of a cult classic while serving us the guerrilla aesthetic on a clean, nostalgic platter. This film only makes me more excited to see Charli evolve as a musician and cinephile. I’m also anticipating more work from Aidan Zamiri. This was a daring debut that only solidifies the importance of an artist’s voice and authenticity in our attention economy.

**Addendum: The final monologue of the film is a bittersweet (no pun intended) eulogy to this era. Yes, narration can spoon-feed an audience, but in this film it operates more as a contrapuntal score to the Everest of the brat era. Mad respect for them just going for it and closing the film with The Verve 💚**

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