Amy Berg’s documentary is a gift for fans of Buckley new and old
The only time I ever got a compliment from a store clerk when buying an album was when I purchased a cassette of Jeff Buckley’s Grace in high school at a Blockbuster Music. I felt so cool and wise, never mind that the reason I wanted it was because I’d seen a video for “Last Goodbye” on MTV and instantly fell for Buckley’s amazing voice (and cute looks, to be honest). When he died after being caught in the undertow of the Mississippi River in 1997, I actually called the DJ who’d reported the news on the local station to ask for confirmation; I couldn’t believe it.
Needless to say, Buckley’s music is a core memory from my youth, so I went in uncertain about this new documentary by Amy Berg (Deliver Us From Evil, Phoenix Rising). But the filmmaker and her team quickly draw the viewer into Buckley’s life and music through stories from the women and friends he left behind. The main trio of storytellers is mom Mary Guibert, ex-girlfriend Rebecca Moore, and indie musician/lover Joan Wasser, who each saw a different side of the artist. Through their memories and stories from other friends and musicians, It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley weaves a unique depiction of the musician’s life and journey: being born to a teen mom, son of a folk musician dad who basically ignored him, his keen desire to have a voice and sound distinct from that of his father, goofing off musically in a popular NYC coffeeshop and striking an album deal with Sony/Columbia that he would later come to dread.
We hear the artist’s own voice in interview clips and his songs recur as themes: “Lover, You Should Have Come Over” for Moore and “Lilac Wine” for Wasser. Writing and doodles from Buckley’s journals are turned into lively (and disturbing, at times) animations. The editing throughout the film verges on experimental, keeping at a somewhat fierce pace except for more reflective moments.
Berg’s film is a portrait of the whole man, as much as one could know him, not shying away from his flaws and imperfections. What comes through is his continuous questioning and search for identity, finding his own sound through an open mind and appreciation for musicians in world music, standards, jazz and more. His respect for other musicians, a sort of hero worship, shines through in assertions like “Secretly I wanted to be Nina Simone”, adding another layer to the artist and his work.
The only choice by the filmmaker that took me out of the documentary was the decision to incorporate Buckley’s “Hallelujah” cover a second time into the film. The first time flows naturally; the second time made me almost cringe. It’s not Buckley’s fault the song has oversaturated popular culture in the decades since his passing. But it’s a rare clunky moment in an otherwise striking, earnest and emotional portrait of an artist we lost much to soon.
It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley opens in select theaters on Fri, Aug. 8.
