runamokprods A sad, lovely and poetic (if brief at 48 minutes) look at the life and music of singer-songwriter Nick Drake. As someone who respects Drake's work, but doesn't know it the way a real fan would, I found the documentary a bit opaque at times. I suspect it will have more impact to those already intimate with Drake's art. But the film was still strikingly visual, artistic and subtle compared to most retrospective pieces about artists, while still giving a surprising amount of insight into both Drake's battles with depression, and his creative process. It made me determined to sit down and really listen to Drake's music, which is, in some ways, the best compliment you can pay a film like this.

Ruby Liang (ruby_fff) "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.

jthelin I have to disagree with whomever opined that this documentary will be of interest only to Nick Drake fans. The cinematography, for one, should be a draw, it being on the level of, oh, Girl With a Pearl Earring or Dead Poet's Society. Also, the director's use of manipulation - superimposing images that move over a single cityscape, for example - is worth seeing, several times. And some of the lingering shots of English countryside are stunning and evoke a strong sense of Drake's music, which often delved into setting, using it as a character sometimes.I do agree with those who regretted there was not enough info/anecdotes from the persons "interviewed" in the film, outside older sister & actress, Gabrielle. Where was John Martyn (and/or Beverly Martyn), who affectionately called Nick "The Guv'nor?" And what of musicians who played on Drake's first two LPs? Some of them are still with us...like Richard Thompson or Danny Thompson or John Cale, whose gorgeous keyboards in "Northern Sky" help that performance SOAR. And certainly Joe Boyd must be able to talk more about Nick than was shown in the film.Nonetheless, I am grateful for having seen it - a few days ago actually, on TV (one of the Starz channels, I believe). I hope I come across it again one of these moons. As a fan since 1971 - when the first U.S. compilation (of the 1st two LPs) came out on Island - I am pleased and moved to hear more from this unique songwriter, singer, and guitarist. Does anyone REALLY write, sing, and play like him?

Miguel Moura 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.