Biopics about famous musicians are usually guaranteed to attract audiences. In most cases, the subject has achieved a status in the industry which warrants a big screen telling of the story of their life. Here we have GREETINGS FROM TIM BUCKLEY, a film that may or may not be a biopic at all.
The film follows Jeff Buckley, son of late celebrated musician Tim Buckley, as he is summoned to play a tribute concert for his deceased father in New York City. As rehearsals for the event unfold, Jeff is forced to confront the truth about the father he never knew, and find a way to accept it.
It’s hard to categorize a film like “Greetings”. While we mostly follow young Jeff Buckley – who like his father, passed away at a tragically young age – the film is interspersed with scenes featuring Tim Buckley at the height of his music career. We learn hard truths about his lifestyle and unwillingness to be a father to his newborn son, as well as his extramarital transgressions. This was an interesting way to allow the story to unfold, as we simultaneously see where Jeff’s bitterness towards his father’s legacy is born from as his struggles play out on-screen. The one problem with this choice is that the issue is never fully explored. Why was Tim Buckley so detached? Where did his phobia of committing come from? When handling a real-life figure that has achieved a level of legendary notoriety, it seems almost a little irresponsible to not explore the whole make-up of the man. A separate film based entirely on Tim Buckley’s life would be interesting to see. Though, that doesn’t make this film any less compelling.
“Greetings” benefits greatly from a wonderful script courtesy of David Brendel and Emma Sheanshang. It’s immediately clear that the intention of the film is not to force the viewer to despise Tim Buckley’s absence as a father, but to show how Jeff Buckley found his voice. The music plays an important role in the film, almost as if it’s helping to tell the story. It’s a rich and inviting narrative that achieves what it is intending, which is a character study about family and forgiveness.
The main strengths of this film are the two lead performances. As Jeff Buckley, Penn Badgley delivers an honest and provocative take on a man who is just as mysterious as his music. He plays Buckley as more misanthropic than resentful and angry, but allows moments of emotional exploration when the scene calls for it. He also does a lot of the singing in the film, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well he pulled off the vocals. It’s a truly brave performance that deserves recognition.
Imogen Poots plays Allie, a stagehand at the tribute concert who connects with Jeff early on and accompanies him on his journey to find solitude. As with her other work, Imogen Poots proves yet again that she is a force to be reckoned with. As you can clearly see, Poots is a knockout. Though in this film, her performance is stripped of any and all vanity in favor of a more complete and sublimely mesmerizing contribution. Her chemistry with Badgley is remarkable, and she makes the film better simply by being in it.
“Greetings” is not going to be a classic. It’s certainly not going to get any awards. Yet, a film like this will always be worth watching – which these days is a welcome change of pace. If my only gripe is that I think it needs more detail, then it’s certainly not a bad film in any way. If you’re a fan of either Jeff or Tim Buckley, see this film and draw your own conclusion.
[Rating:4/5]
