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If you’re a fan of The Magnetic Fields, you’re going to love Strange Powers, directors Kerthy Fix and Gail O’Hara’s love-letter to the singular genius of Stephin Merritt (not to mention his longtime manager/collaborator Claudia Gonson). The film’s decade-long gestation means that viewers are treated to footage of Merritt and his merry crew working on both I and Distortion. A scene with Merritt and Gonson puzzling out the metrical details of I’s “In an Operetta” was a personal favorite — it quintessentially captures their spirited but affectionate bickering.

In many respects Strange Powers is like hanging out with a couple of really smart, acerbic, and funny friends for an evening. If you’re not a fan of The Magnetic Fields are you likely to become a convert? Maybe — because Strange Powers is also not unlike the vibe of The Magnetic Fields’ live performances, which — especially considering how mannered and arch Merritt can be on record — are similarly touching experiences, and are what transformed me from a very casual fan into slightly nutso fan. (I keep trying to write about how magical Magnetic Fields shows are and not getting it quite right.)

Fix explained in the Q & A session that one reason it took so long to complete the film was that it was waiting for a story arc to present itself: for the band to break up, for the band to break through to the mainstream, for Merritt’s theatrical scoring sideline to take off, etc.. Ultimately she opted to follow what she described as a “portrait of a genius” template. This approach suits Merritt very well; it puts his singular personality front-and-center; he has the (oddball) charisma to carry the picture. Strange Powers is I think a stronger film for not having a strong authorial hand constraining its elements to a specific narrative arc.

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