SXSW 2011: Conan O'Brien Can't Stop Review

I'll be the first one to admit that I don't really like Conan O'Brien that much. When I tune into late night talk shows, it's all about Craig Ferguson over on CBS. That being said, this documentary was one of the greatest I've seen in a while, and kept my laughing for the two hour it played.

I think the reason that this movie resonated so well with the 1200 people inside the Paramount Theatre was all down to it's brutal honestly. Conan did not pull any punches. The audience gasped with joy when Conan read a fake letter from Jay Leno asking what it was like to have a soul. The controversy of last years Late Night brawl was not downplayed in any way. Conan states his anger over the situation in the film many times. However, the film was not just about that time. We see O'Brien at home with his family and at work producing a stage show. It's during these segments that the audience discovers that Conan O'Brien is just a really nice, and honestly funny guy.

His energy throughout the movie reminds me of behind the scenes clips I've seen of comedian Ricky Gervais. They both like to take their energy out on the people around them. Gervais forces his crew to dress up in ridiculous outfits, while Conan just punches them or makes them communicate via a banana phone. Let's just say, I would not want to be in a room with those two. You can almost see the energy pouring out of O'Brien, and he takes that out hilariously on his crew and employees. The breakout star of the doc was O'Brien's personal assistant. She took her fair share of berating from her boss, including being fake fired for bringing him a piece of fish with butter instead of plain. Another highlight came int he form of 30 Rock's Jack McBrayer. The audience roared as Conan berated McBrayer with hick jokes while Jon Hamm laughed in the background.

All in all, Conan fans will love this peek into his personal life. And as someone who isn't a fan, I still laughed and felt true sympathy for someone who obviously loves what he does so much. Overall, I give this film 4 stars out of 5.