The Past Is A Grotesque Animal

2014 • 79 minutes

About this movie

THE PAST IS A GROTESQUE ANIMAL is a personal, accessible portrait of an artist of Montreal - frontman Kevin Barnes whose pursuit to make transcendent music at all costs drives him to value art over human relationships. As he struggles with all of those around him, family and bandmates alike, he's forced to reconsider the future of the band, begging the question - is this really worth it?

Ratings and reviews

Many people claim that this documentary will make you dislike Kevin but I actually have more respect for him after watching it. Kevin Barnes IS of Montreal and of Montreal IS Kevin Barnes, so of course a boss must be boss over his workers (which are paid musicians for his tours)... therefor when it comes to the creations of "of Montreal" it is still ultimately Kevins' work. He seems to endure much guilt over this but overcoming the guilt is a must. This guys commitment is underrated, he writes all the songs and records all the instruments himself (at one point recording each drum track one drum at a time) , a daring wordsmith and not afraid of criticism even from his close family and friends. Great documentary!

The story behind some of my favorite songs makes me love Of Montreal even more.

Great film inside the mind of this genius, Kevin Barnes Anyone interested in this band should watch this