Never have I seen a film morph the medium of moviemaking so well to emulate the spirit of its subject.
I shall make no attempt to conceal my sentiment with this review: I love this movie. “Nuts!” holds the distinction of being the first and only film I’ve seen twice at a film festival, and I had to check it out once more now that it is making its way into theaters.
The premise fits the title, as we follow the life of Dr. John Romulus Brinkley, a ‘quack’ doctor who first achieved fame and notoriety in 1917 for claiming to cure male impotence by surgically implanting goat testicles in patient’s scrotums. Through a series of animations, radio recordings, and archival footage, we learn the stranger-than-fiction life story of this Midwestern doctor. Brinkley quickly found fame and fortune through the burgeoning field of radio broadcasting and a variety of other successful schemes that are almost as absurd as his “goat balls” cure. As big government and national medical associations catch on to him and try to shut him down for being a fraud, Brinkley’s schemes get even more outrageous in order to dodge their sabotage.
Like Dr. Brinkley, director Penny Lane throws such a mixture of absurdity at the audience that even repeat viewings keep one fully engaged and entertained. Never have I seen a film morph the medium of moviemaking so well to emulate the spirit of its subject (“Nuts!” won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing at Sundance back in January). The use of animation as its primary imagery effectively captures the essence of the character and his situation, more so than if it was entirely archival or relied on conventional recreations. Seven different animators capture different chapters of Brinkley’s life, and through some great use of symbols and keeping characters in the same attire, the varied styles all align to tell the story very well.
Penny Lane’s last film, “Our Nixon,” is entirely made of archival footage, and you can see how in “Nuts!” she pushes the boundaries of her distinct signature style by incorporating more mediums onto her palette. All of these elements serve towards creating a richly dimensional story. Dr. Brinkley is a deceitful character and fittingly, “Nuts!” is a deceitful film of sorts. It understands how we absorb information, what we perceive as credible information, but then turns that on its head. Through a goofy story, we get insights into the larger historical context of Dr. Brinkley, as well as some poignant social commentary so relevant for today’s world, one won’t believe it could be real. There are many countless moments of humor, poignancy, or unexpected happenings, but I’d rather withhold them and let you see them for yourself firsthand.
On top of being a massive success in elevating the documentary genre by utilizing various creative elements, “Nuts!” is one of the funniest movies of the year as well – how could it not be, with such a silly premise? Dr. Brinkley is a character for the ages, and without this film, he would’ve easily been considered just another goofy American from the early 20th Century.
The combination of being unlike anything I’ve ever seen before while working with the material so effectively is what makes this an essential piece of filmmaking. Funny, engaging, innovative, and relevant, Penny Lane delivers all of this within a brisk 79 minutes. Oh, and lots of goats– It’s hard to ask for more from a film! Personally, if I were to make a best of the year list today, “Nuts!” would confidently be at the very top. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind experience that can’t be missed.
“Nuts!” is unrated. 79 minutes. Now playing at Cinefamily in Los Angeles and the Pasadena Playhouse.
