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Review

Further proof that the mockumentary — or in this case “docu-comedy” — has become an accepted form of cinema arrives with the participation of no less a genius than Werner Herzog, who perhaps sees himself following in the footsteps of Orson Welles’ F for Fake. The premise is that this is an assemblage of footage taken by a film crew as they shoot a documentary about Herzog, and in the process they capture not only how his latest project — a documentary about the Loch Ness Monster — came to be abandoned, but also dives into the docu-horror territory of The Last Broadcast and The Blair Witch Project. On the surface, we have Herzog and Zak Penn having hilarious fun by pulling an elaborate prank on the audience. But like the famous loch itself, there’s a lot going on deep beneath the film’s surface. The two unlikely collaborators — one a world renowned filmmaker with a closet full of awards who directs operas for fun, the other the screenwriter of Elektra — seem to be taking great joy in turning mirrors upon mirrors, fascinating us with each reflection.

 -- Brian Thomas