A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake (2002)

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

"A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake" (2000) The documentary may be 48 minutes, but it's a full, rich tapestry intricately weaving together the story of Nick Drake. Visually painterly and fulfilling in sound delivery with Nick's singing and music flowing into the natural nature sounds of birds and leaves rustling, pausing quiet moments looking out of the window from Nick's Room, appreciating the sunlight coming through the round window, lingering over the yonder meadows, the oak tree and shadows, the train tracks and the train eventually moving. All poetically put together by Dutch filmmaker Jeroen Berkvens who directed the film, with photography by Vladas Naudzius, sound by Eddy De Cloe, and editing by Stefan Kamp. Truly a beautiful tribute to British musician, singer-songwriter Nicholas Rodney 'Nick' Drake, his precious short time on earth of 26 years.The storytelling is authentically enhanced by the family movie footage of Nick's childhood in Burma 1948 to 1952, his school years in England 1952 to 1967, his Cambridge years 1967 to 1969, with sharing of audio taped singing of Molly Drake, Nick's Mom, during the animated interviews of Gabrielle Drake, Nick's sister, who warmly recounted her memories and special moments-anecdotes of her younger brother, including excerpt reading of Nick's letters. Recalling Nick's London City years 1969 to 1971: interview segments with Joe Boyd, record producer of Nick's first two albums, "Five Leaves Left" 1969 and "Bryter Layter" 1970; Robert Kirby who did Nick's album arrangements, and John Wood the sound engineer for Nick's album recordings; Paul Weller, a fellow musician; Brian Wells, the college friend who remembered their Cambridge days and pot smoking tales with Nick; and Keith Morris, a photographer friend. We also get to hear voices of Nick's Dad and Mom speaking about their son, commenting on life with Nick at school and at home, and coping with his depression periods: Nick's Home Again years 1971 to 1974.The four lines of verse at the start of the film are the first four lines of lyrics in "Hazey Jane 1" from "Bryter Layter" album: "Do you curse where you come from, Do you swear in the night, Will it mean much to you, If I treat you right." Followed by ten of Nick's songs-lyric sections aptly featured, flowing into the strands of various phases of Nick's life along with the image and scenes on screen: Way to Blue; Introduction; Hazey Jane 1; River Man; At the Chime of a City Clock; Day Is Done; Know; Hanging On a Star; From the Morning; Northern Sky, plus the rare audio recording of a song written and sung by his Mom, Molly Drake: How Wild the Wind Blows.This is a well-made, worthwhile documentary - whether you've heard of Nick Drake and his songs, guitar music or not, appreciation will develop and grow. There are many resource info online, from 'wikipedia' Nick Drake page - External Links section: "The Nick Drake Files" is a very good site ("algonet.se/~iguana/DRAKE/DRAKE.html") to learn more about Nick Drake from A to Z, lyrics and interviews. The official site at "nickdrakefilm.com" provides more on this film and DVD* availability - there are Nick's room layout, family photos, production-crew details and soundtrack list, and the Wall imagery. (* Noticed "Fruit Tree" box set now includes 4 discs, fourth being the DVD of this film, besides Nick Drake's first three albums re-released.) I was fortunate to catch this film on SF cable Sundance Channel February 27th, repeated on 28th, 2009.

The Genius of Artistry of this long gone Guitarist/Singer/Songwriter has definitely made an incredible impact on my inner self. Both as a person, as well as a musician.This movie documents the 26 short years of Nick's life (1948-1974), focusing on his brilliant music, as well as the talented musical and technical people who helped shape his sound, in London in the late 60's & early 70's, as well as his sister Gabrielle, and haunting audio segments of both his late parents.Unfortunately, Nick was not of his time, and was never really appreciated during his oh so short time here. But his 3 albums, Five Leaves Left, Bryter Later & Pink Moon, continues to indoctrinate new fans day after day, being moved by the songs that were written almost 40 years ago. Amazing !!! Now if only the money people, controlling this film, could come to terms, thousands more would be able to feel, what this incredible musician had to say....."When the Day is Done, Hope So Much, Your Race Will be All Run."

Jeroen Berkven's 2000 documentary assumes right from the start an elitist approach, one that implies that the audience is truly knowledgeable about the world of Nick Drake and the importance of his music to a new generation of artists; as a result, the film tends to be sparse and elliptic: it's undoubtedly a labour of love, filled with autumnal, bucolic sequences that lead nowhere, except to serve Drake's melodies and his soft, broken voice that gained him admiration since his premature death in 1974. Gabrielle Drake (Nick's sister as an interviewee) is the only one that keep things going (reading old letters, painfully remembering her brother's departure), while the other guests simply resume all that has been said and wrote about Nick. This is a documentary for fans only, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. At the end, while his grave is solemnly shot and the only existing footage of Nick as a child is served to feed our (morbid) curiosity, there's a sense of vagueness, still intact after the very first few minutes of screening. It lacks profoundity, as if the director was expecting that Nick's tortured persona was enough to fill in the silence and empty sadness that is carefully built along the documentary, a silence and a sadness that he might thought of as respect or deference to a soul that almost no one cherished as a musician.

I saw this about 3 years ago and was fortunate enough to be at a screening afterwards which there was a question and answer session with the director. The film itself is beautifully shot with nice sweeping camera shots over the English countryside which accurately evoke the organic nature of Nick Drake's music. The only moving images of Nick Drake as a child playing on a beach is a treat for hardcore fans like myself. From what the director said this was not someone jumping on the bandwagon of posthumous hype that has been created since what is regarded by many as the corporate violation of drake's music. The director crafted this documentary in such a way that it satisfies the itching curiosity of fans wishing to get closer to this mysterious folk icon at the same time as it stands alone as intelligent piece of film-making.