Part of Music City Mondays
Rising musician Jeff Buckley had only released one album when he died suddenly in 1997. Now, never-before-seen footage, exclusive voice messages and accounts from those closest to him offer a portrait of the captivating singer. Veteran documentarian Amy Berg (WEST OF MEMPHIS, DELIVER US FROM EVIL) paints an elegant and compassionate portrait of the late Jeff Buckley, whose one-in-a-generation voice and boundary-pushing artistry are spotlit for both existing fans and newcomers to his catalog. Beautiful scores and resonant, rare live performances underscore Buckley’s fullness of character — a history of the love and loss that shaped him, and thus the international music culture of the late 20th century. Discordant as Buckley’s end is, Berg makes space for the consonances in between, imbuing the film with special archival material and the permeation of Buckley’s own diaristic narration. This film is a hum that echoes, and like Buckley’s “Hallelujah,” it takes on a light and life of its own.
“The doc captures the development of not only a true artist, but a gifted performer who saw music as both a form of expression and a universal language that can reach deep into the soul…. [Director Amy Berg] finds that despite what many may think, tragedy is the least interesting aspect of her subject. By keeping her focus on only a handful of people who could speak directly to Buckley’s history, she finds what’s most compelling — outside of the music, of course — was his ability to move forward and upend preconceptions at every turn.” —Harrison Richlin, IndieWire “What the documentary captures, I think, is that Buckley was on his way to becoming a staggeringly huge star. I defy you to see IT’S NEVER OVER, JEFF BUCKLEY and not fall in love with Jeff Buckley’s voice. By the time the film is over, you want to find a way to go back and rescue him to let him live the life he should have.” —Owen Gleiberman, Variety
