TARNATION [****] (Four stars)

A groundbreaking autobiography by newcomer Jonathan Caouette, who brilliantly assembles home movies, photos, answering-machine tapes, pop songs and snippets of old movies and TV shows into a riveting collage of his harrowing life, including a schizophrenic mother, physical abuse, and his own suicide attempts. It takes the form of underground movies, but it’s a love story that transcends age and gender barriers. (1 hr 40) NR. (sex, profanity) 10