The Man Whose Mind Exploded
Dir: Toby Amies
2012
****
The Man Whose Mind Exploded sounds a bit sensationalist but this documentary is certainly not without a bang. Toby Amies (or Toby Jug as he's fondly referred to in the film) befriends his subject, the colourful eccentric Drako Oho Zarharzar to the point that the margins of reality are somewhat blurred, it changes in both mood and direction but certainly doesn't suffer because of it. Far from it, it's this rather honest approach that makes the film the delight that it is. Drako Oho Zarharzar is a fascinating character for sure but he is also very vulnerable. Due to a couple of severe head traumas his short term memory has been almost totally destroyed, it is only his absolute trust in everyone and anyone that he lets Toby Amies back time and time again to continue filming him. His long term memory is a little better and he takes great pleasure in telling stories of sexual exploits, his childhood travels and the time he posed for Salvador Dali. Amies grows ever more into a carer and friend for Drako more than documentarian as he becomes more and more frustrated with the squalor he lives in (decorated by pictures of many a penis) and the lack of interest he shows in his own physical well-being. The interviews with family members helps to paint the picture of the man he was before his accidents and we can clearly see who he has become for ourselves but the most interesting aspect of the whole production comes when Drako, who doesn't always convince us he knows what is happening at any given moment, openly states that Amies is using him for his own gain. It's a startling moment, even more so when he states that it's fine by him because he likes to be used. I have the utmost respect for Amies for keeping this bit of film in when I'm sure many people wouldn't. He openly discusses it with Drako too, asking what his family would say about certain things and he is instructed to leave it all in when he really wouldn't have had to. Simple but fascinating and one of the most 'real' documentaries I think I've ever seen.