There hasn’t been a film that analyzes the world of pop stardom quite like “The Moment,” at least when it comes to mainstream wide releases. The vehicle for the globally-renowned artist Charli XCX would technically be qualified as a mockumentary because it presents fictional situations and characters, but it’s not pulling the type of clear-eyed gags that “This Is Spinal Tap” did.
While there is a surface-level humor within the inherently ridiculous lifestyle and culture of such a massive phenomenon, “The Moment” is also layered with in-jokes and meta references, some of which could be misperceived as authentic. The swerve that “The Moment” takes into sincerity, and the sincere efforts on Charli XCX’s part to state the purpose of her next act, are without a doubt interesting. “The Moment” may be more fascinating as an exploration of expectations than as a film, but it’s far more than the self-congratulatory vanity project that many other pop artists have been guilty of spearheading.
Charli XCX has been a popular artist for well over a decade, but it was her sixth studio album, “Brat,” that became a sensation that launched a minor revolution in both music and popular culture. While the phrase “brat summer” seemed to be on everyone’s lips, what was defined as “brat” was up for debate, especially when it came to the defiance of cultural norms and political ideology.
“The Moment” imagines what the build-up to Charli XCX’s first post-”Brat” tour looks like, and peers into her attempts to sustain the hype. Although it’s presented in a pseudo-documentarian fashion, “The Moment” is also centered around the involvement of the fictional director Johannes Godwin (Alexander Skarsgård) and his attempts to capture footage of Charli XCX’s tour for a concert film.
Charli XCX gives a performance that is more complicated than it may appear. It’s not necessarily an exaggerated version of her real persona, but it does challenge the notion that every effect she had on popular culture was completely intentional. Charli XCX’s inability, and in some cases hesitance, to set expectations stems from her inner conflict on who she is serving.
Her desire to prolong her spot in the spotlight is initially driven by the perceived importance she has to those who felt represented by her work, but it becomes increasingly unclear if she can continue a “moment” that was, by its very nature, a reactionary experience. On a meta-textual level, “The Moment” is an even bolder swerve. Since Charli XCX has not yet faded from public consciousness, her willingness to present a disorienting, occasionally cynical read of the music industry can feel like a brave admittance or a biting of the hand that feeds her.
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Director and co-writer Aidan Zamiri is impressively able to utilize the aesthetics of the “Brat” album in occasionally jarring ways that make for a sharp contrast with the more mundane conversations surrounding practical goals regarding tour sales, merchandising, scheduling, and Godwin’s documentary.
“The Moment” isn’t naive enough to suggest that Charli XCX is exempt from the realities of managing her own brand, but it’s certainly willing to point a finger at those who’ve willfully misinterpreted it. There are plenty of cheap gags at the expense of greedy executives who try to exploit Charli XCX’s identity for the sake of managing corporate goals, but it’s nonetheless humorous to see business types try to frame “Brat” as a moment that will appeal to families of consumers and Amazon investors.
“The Moment” is immersive, and while it’s not entirely realistic (or even suggested) why a camera would be trained on its subjects the whole time, its mockumentary format does not mean it sacrificed the scene construction and depth of field needed within a standard feature. Unfortunately, the film’s pacing issues come down to its unclear narrative goals. Although it begins as a “week in the life” of Charli XCX’s life in preparation for the pivotal concert, it develops a bizarre subplot involving a public scandal that feels a step too far into the absurd.
The film’s humor is best when its jokes are more subtle and aimed at media consumers who can note the ironic appearances by other celebrities and brands. Although the more intentional theme of not “selling out” may have been a more palatable way to make the film accessible, it’s also somewhat of a betrayal of what the goals of “The Moment” are.
The degree to which the celebrity cameos work may come down to one’s personal opinion on those featured, but it’s fairly clear how self-aware those selected to appear where. While the brief role for Rachel Sennott provides the film with one of its strangest and most absurd scenes, the cameo by Kylie Jenner is little more than fan service.
More unusual are the performances by Rosanna Arquette and Hailey Benton Gates as Charli XCX’s executive and creative partner, respectively. Arquette’s performance is pitched in a high-strung key that may have worked better in a more overtly goofy mockumentary, and Gates is offering a strain of sincerity that feels misplaced in a film that’s so arch.
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The standout of the cast is Skarsgaard, who has been proving more often lately that he’s just as skilled at comedy as he is at drama. Godwin is as close to a clear-cut villain as “The Moment” has, but he’s too completely out-of-touch with Charli XCX altogether that he’s mostly hapless. The obvious intentions he has to hijack the tour for the sake of making a commercially viable film are so blatant and unapologetic that it’s hard not to be impressed at the sheer ego on display. Skarsgaard is able to play a foolish character without making it feel inconceivable that someone like Godwin would have access to one of the biggest pop stars on the planet.
The most intriguing subplot, or perhaps secondary intention, of “The Moment” is the veiled jabs at Taylor Swift. The direction that Godwin pushes her in is to be a more transparent, toothless artist who would bend over backwards to provide audiences with something that is pleasing, but not thought-provoking. While the more subtle allusions to the cynical inspirationalism of “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” may be a bit too obscure for some to pick up on, the contrast between the two artists expands to their representative films.
If Charli XCX’s intention is to avoid making the obvious, vapid promotional art Swift has come to embody, she’s also making a film that’s intentionally trying to avoid the blatant brand protection that the media surrounding “The Eras Tour” represented. For better or worse, “The Moment” is a performance, a statement, and a warning, but it’s definitely not an advertisement.
Even if “The Moment” is squarely aimed at those who are already invested in “Brat,” the appearances by clueless cab drivers and ambivalent media reporters emphasize that the obsession with Charli XCX is often from a niche crowd, and that the “moment” has passed over some segments of the world altogether. While it’s rarely not engaging, the identity crisis that Charli XCX suffers isn’t as interesting to watch as it is conceptually, especially when the film is only able to go so far in creating a fictional mirror of reality.
That being said, the fact that Charli XCX was willing to make something so experimental is genuinely impressive, especially given how the film defies obvious crowd-pleasing moments. It’s so bound to the specific parameters of its release that it may only be effective in the immediate future, but “The Moment” is nonetheless fascinating as a time capsule.
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