Issue No. 24 | Wanderlust
9 February 2010 11:31am PST
9 February 2010 11:31am PST
Lil Wayne is “The Carter”
It only took six fading words in the opening title sequence of The Carter. That one reason gained my interest in this documentary concerning one of rap music’s most uncanny performers. ”…he has since withdrawn his support.” The caption had everyone in the audience shooting each other quizzical looks. Lil’ Wayne had seen the film. He loved it. Why, then, did his camp contact director Adam Lough and producer QD3 days before its Sundance premier and enjoined them to yank the movie, a project that began with Wayne’s blessing? This question remains unanswered, even for Lough and QD3, but it was a bizarre omen for one of the most intriguing films I’ve seen all year.
Let’s be real. When I first heard about Lil Wayne’s doc I laughed. Not because I didn’t respect him–like his music or not–the man is undeniably gifted and indisputably hardworking. And I do like his music. I laughed because after all the “best rapper alive” talk, the beef with Jay, and the “get money, f*ck b*tches” interviews–it seemed the next logical thing for the artist to promote his own brand. But that’s another factor that sets The Carter apart: he didn’t actually make it. When it came down to it, Wayne wasn’t involved in the film’s creative process at all. Someone else came to him with the idea and all he did was give them unprecedented access to his personal space for nearly eight months.
There are so many things that make The Carter one of the most unusual and simultaneously fascinating subjects I’ve come across in awhile. He doesn’t drink. He didn’t do cocaine or heroin because he felt their impact was too strong and inhibited his creative process. ”I don’t have sex [right now]” he told an interviewer, “It’s just music, music, music, money. I don’t have time.” In fact, you never once see him with a girl in the film. According to Lough, he spent the majority of his time on the bus. ”The bus,” Lough recounted, “was his sanctuary to hide from distractions, pressures, the cops.” Many times on tour the venue would provide Wayne a suite but he would just stay on the bus, tirelessly recording throughout the night. He is a workaholic, a perfectionist, a musician who travels with a black bag of portable recording gear so he can lay down track wherever, whenever.
His friends complain about his strange dependence on “the purple drank,” cough syrup aka “sizzurp,” which he references freely in his rap but refuses to ever talk about in person. These same friends speak volumes about their relationships and past with Wayne, but he never does, only ever discussing his career and work.
Lil Wayne is truly his own walking movie–you couldn’t write the stuff–it was too raw. Even the filming process was strange. When Lough thought Wayne would surely ask him to stop filming, he didn’t. Then at other times he would have them turn off the cameras for no apparent reason. There were moments when it would be just the two of them, Lough filming as quietly as possible. In those times, he said, he was overwhelmed with the sense that though Wayne was constantly surrounded by so many people there was a distinct loneliness about him you couldn’t explain. The curse of an artist. Wayne refused to ever sit down for a direct interview; any interviews included were Lough filming other people interviewing him. It sounds eccentric but the result was a eerily honest picture of a man you thought you knew–but realize you know nothing about.
Watch this movie. If you have any interest in rap, music, or people–watch this movie. You thought you liked him. You thought you hated him. You thought he killed hip hop. You thought he rejuvenated the game. You thought you knew Lil’ Wayne. But you don’t.
Lough crafts the film so seamlessly you barely think about how it was made, instead remaining completely transfixed on the subject. I can’t quite explain The Carter. It’s a movie without an agenda, the farthest thing from a VH1 doc you could imagine. This isn’t a celebrity documentary. It’s a piece of his life. Don’t overlook this film. He may not be the “voice of our generation” (I’m not quite sold on that yet,) but he very well might be one of its most compelling representatives.
***
Much thanks to Adam Lough for taking the time to answer some questions after the screening and to the Cinefamily for the great LA premier.
The Carter releases in theaters on Tuesday, November 17th.
Comments:
Out of curiosity — what was audience reception like? Any snippets of commentary you caught after the film ended?
This review definitely makes me want to see the doc. Thanks for the write-up!
I think nearly everyone enjoyed the film immensely. Most questions centered around the first line I talked about, how Wayne was no longer supporting the film. I suspect it may be because Wayne’s situation has changed and his camp may have been concerned about the film creating an impression that is no longer accurate–not because they were trying to cover anything up. It might also be because of factors like the fear that the tensions in Wayne’s relationship with Cortez might have been blown up or misperceived by the film. Of course these are all just speculations. On that note: one of the curious things Adam Lough pointed out after the film was how Cortez was always eager to talk about his relationship and past with Wayne while Wayne never once did.