IFC First Take

Anyone who has seen any of Matthew Barney's surreal "Cremaster" films will undoubtedly be intrigued as to what exactly makes this singular avant-garde artist tick. Alison Chernick's documentary attempts to provide some much-needed insight, combining a biographical and artistic portrait of the provocateur with behind-the-scenes footage of the creation of his latest film, "Drawing Restraint 9." While not as balanced or fully satisfying as it should be, "Matthew Barney: No Restraint" will fit naturally as a pairing for future theatrical and DVD exposures of Barney's controversial works.

The main focus of the documentary is Barney's efforts to shoot his outlandish opus, in which he co-stars with Bjork, about a couple who are transformed into whales on a working Japanese whaling vessel. An elaborate production that involved, among many other bizarre aspects, about 45,000 pounds of petroleum jelly, the project necessitated the help of the bemused crew, who, though they have no idea what they're getting involved with, cooperate in good-natured fashion.

While the artist's commitment and passion for his work is clearly evident in these segments, they add up to little more than the routine sort of behind-the-scenes footage now standard in DVD releases.

More informative is the film's tracing of Barney's career as a visual artist and filmmaker, as well as his background in athletics and modeling. Included are film clips from his cinematic efforts and interviews with such subjects as Bjork, his artistic collaborator and real-life partner; New York Times critic Michael Kimmelman, an unabashed fan; and gallery owner Barbara Gladstone, who championed his work early on. Critical comments, needless to say, are few and far between.