I Trust You to Kill Me
It's too bad Jack Bauer was busy solving an international terrorist crisis. As seen with unflinching eyes in this wickedly entertaining documentary, Kiefer Sutherland could have used the organizational powers of his24-star alter-ego to help him with his duties as road manager of a burgeoning rock band. Sutherland is exposed as steadfast devotee of Rocco DeLuca & The Burden as he tries his best to manage the details of the band's brief winter, 2005 tour of Europe. In addition to his career as a famous actor, Sutherland is also co-founder of the indie record label Ironworks Music, and asI Trust You to Kill Meproves, he's clearly the #1 fan of Ironworks' up-and-comers Rocco DeLuca & The Burden. The band's tour of small clubs took them to London, Dublin, Reykjavík, Berlin, and points in between. Director Manu Boyer lets his camera linger over the best and worst of it all. Some of the worst is of Sutherland as he ineptly (but utterly sincerely) tries to pump the band up at every opportunity, whether it's doing radio promos, hauling heavy amps into a London nightclub in the freezing cold, or slyly handing out tickets in Dublin pubs and street corners for an undersold show. It's hilarious to see him simultaneously exploiting and enjoying his celebrity status with passersby--some of whom know who he is, others only vaguely realizing that they ought to know who he is. Director Boyer also does some nosy prodding into Sutherland's private life, especially after he's hefted a few pints (the clip of Sutherland taking a drunken running dive into the Christmas tree in a posh London hotel was brief a YouTube smash after the film first aired on VH-1). We see the crawling-up end of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle from Sutherland's point of view and from the band's. Though it's certainly not the best rock concert movie, there is some terrific footage of The Burden performing their bloozy brand of rock behind DeLuca's raw wail. In spite of Sutherland's "help," the band may have a good chance at gaining a following.I Trust You to Kill Me(the title of The Burden's first album) documents both a personal journey for Kiefer Sutherland and a glimpse at the hardscrabble of a band clawing their way up. On both counts it's great fun and a terrific piece of rock 'n' roll entertainment.--Ted Fry