Film Review: It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley

I fully expected It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley to be a total tearjerker. Jeff Buckley's 1997 tragic death by accidental drowning at the age of thirty deeply affected me, and when I break out Grace every so often, the feeling of loss overwhelms me. When the film showed the MTV News report of his death, it brought me right back to watching that live at a girlfriend's house. And while I did tear up from time to time (as early as the first three minutes of the film), director Amy Berg avoids her film being too depressing by focusing on his music, and not his death.

It's such a simple thing to do, but impossibly effective. While so much media telling the story of Buckley focuses on his tragic death, Berg only devotes maybe ten minutes of her nearly two hour documentary on his passing. Instead, It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley is a celebration of his life and career as told by his friends, colleagues, and family.

One of the strengths of the film is the live performance footage, which is truly stunning. I was shocked by how many of his performances were taped, as having a video camera in the 90's was a big deal. Through these recordings is how the audience falls in love with Buckley all over again. His sheer talent was immense, and Berg's film showcases how amazing he was. Even early on when he was playing coffee shops in front of twenty people, he was practically a fully formed artist. It's also easy to only think of him as a crooner, or a singer of heartbreaking ballads, but he could, and did, rock the fuck out at times. 

It's also easy to forget that Grace was not a huge hit in the U.S. at the time of its release. It did well, but Buckley wasn't quite the giant rock star we might think of him as today. The film also shows Buckley's struggles with fame and the music industry machine that demanded more from him. The true tragedy in the film came more from the pain of his life, including always being compared to a father who only spent a handful of days with a young Buckley. (Tim Buckley does not come out well in It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley, nor should he.)

For what is essentially a standard talking heads documentary, Berg somehow makes it seem fresh and never repetitive of other similar documentaries. In doing that, Berg truly captures the essence of what made Jeff Buckley such a unique and adored artist. His music didn't break down any walls, or create new genres. His greatness was just by being him, with that little something special that made Jeff Buckley such a beloved artist, even more so nearly thirty years after his death. It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley doesn't reinvent the rock documentary, but it does something slightly different to match the magic of its subject, which is what he truly deserves.