To accompany their new album I Am Easy to Find, The National collaborated with director Mike Mills on a short film starring Alicia Vikander. It was screened at the band’s “A Special Evening with The National” shows, like the one at NYC’s Beacon Theatre in April, and it also screened last week in NYC and L.A. Here’s our review from the Beacon Theatre screening:
The evening started with a viewing of I Am Easy to Find‘s short film, which was directed by Mike Mills and stars Alicia Vikander as the nameless woman whose life we follow in a series of artfully depicted vignettes and fragments. Shot lovingly in black and white, with solid pops of color serving as dividers between scenes, I Am Easy to Find exudes a sort of hazy timelessness: phones have cords, no one’s holding a smartphone, we see no signs of computers. I was unsure at first of the central conceit of the 30-year-old actress playing the film’s main character from childhood to old age, but it works within the bounds of the film, which is genuinely moving, especially towards the end. It’s all soundtracked by alternate versions of songs from the new album, crashing up against each other as they propel the film, which is mostly without dialogue, along.
Ahead of Friday’s album release, The National have shared the whole film, which you can watch below.
UPDATE: You can also watch the Beacon Theatre Q&A session about the film with Matt Berninger, Bryce Dessner, and Mike Mills, moderated by Julien Baker, below.
The National play an intimate NYC release show on Friday (5/17) which will stream live, and the band’s proper tour includes two nights at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park with Courtney Barnett: June 12 (sold out) and June 13 (tickets).
