Russell Brand created some high-profile drama at the last minute by choosing not to attend the world premiere of Ondi Timoner’s documentary about him (or give his scheduled keynote speech) at SXSW — probably getting more press than he would have by showing up as planned. The suspicion that this might be a clever ruse is underlined by “Brand: A Second Coming” itself, which, despite the subject’s excuses that it was too revealingly “uncomfortable” for his stomach, reveals little that many fans and detractors don’t already know. It’s also quite a flattering, as well as entertaining and (natch) funny, portrait of a comic talent remaking himself from pop-tart celebrity to (still funny) political commentator/agitator. Brand’s large, loyal constituency should eat this up in various formats; it won’t alter the opinions of those who don’t like him, but then they’re unlikely to be queueing up anyway.
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