Heading to cinemas this week is It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley, a new documentary from Amy Berg, tracing the life of the rising star whose otherworldly voice and boundary-pushing artistry left a lasting mark on modern music.
The documentary begins with Mary Guibert, Buckley’s mother, who recounts how she and her infant son were abandoned by Jeff’s father, Tim, shortly after she fell pregnant in 1966. From there, the film follows Jeff’s childhood through the formative years that shaped his musical identity, carrying the story all the way to his untimely death in May 1997 at the age of thirty.
Throughout the documentary, there are prominent appearances from Rebecca Moore and Joan Wasser, the latter of whom was in a long-term relationship with Buckley at the time of his death.
Also featured are Buckley’s bandmates and peers, like guitarist Michael Tighe, drummer Matt Johnson, Aimee Mann, and Ben Harper, who are on-hand to explain the influences of Led Zeppelin and Judy Garland, and the impact they had on the release of his critically-acclaimed 1994 debut album ‘Grace’.
The film uses never-before-seen archival footage and exclusive voice messages, with Berg drawing heavily from Buckley’s personal archive – material she has spend a decade securing – including childhood clips, early rehearsal tapes, and intimate home recordings. Together, they reveal a much more complete picture of an iconic artist taken from this world far too soon.
Paired with performance footage and Jeff’s own voice, which allows Buckley to narrate part of his own story, this doco is an unmissable one for fans both old and new.
It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley succeeds because it shows Buckley as human – flawed, searching, creative, and not just a tragic death at a young age.
4 Stars
It’s Never Over: Jeff Buckley is screening at select Australian cinemas from April 30
