Film Review: One More Time With Feeling

In Andrew Dominik’s heart-wrenching documentary, One More Time With Feeling, we get to see the man behind this mask. The film captures the his life during the recording of Skeleton Tree, the new Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album released today. The record primarily deals with the tragic death of his son, Arthur, who fell from a cliff near Brighton last year.

Over the course of 112 minutes we explore the impact of this inconceivable loss on the artist and the man. He reveals how time has become ‘elastic’, in that no matter how many days, weeks or months pass, he is always drawn back to the catastrophic event. He tries to make sense of the trauma though art, he speaks about its effect on his life and the creative process with remarkable openness. Band-mate Warren Ellis, wife Susie Bick and Arthur’s twin Earl also give candid contributions.

This is a harrowing piece which gives exceptionally revealing insights into a famously elusive figure at what must be his darkest hour. Perhaps sharing this time through art will be healing for Cave. One can only hope.

Skeleton Tree , the new album by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, is out today.