Shot in the spring of 2021 in London just weeks before the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds were to tour the U.K., the film is a look into the collaboration between Cave and longtime Bad Seeds member/collaborator Warren Ellis as they perform songs at the Battersea Arts Centre in London. Much of the material isn’t just from the Bad Seeds’ 2019 album Ghosteen but also their most recent collaboration in Carnage where Cave and Ellis perform these songs with a string quartet, a trio of backing vocalists, a session drummer, and Bad Seeds guitarist George Vjestica for one song. The film also feature scenes at Brighton where Cave and Ellis live in separate homes as they talk about their collaboration with the former also going back to the art of creating ceramic pottery and statues as the film opens with some of his creation including a story about the Devil.
Director Andrew Dominik is featured throughout the film as he asks Cave and Ellis about their collaboration as well as creating some unique compositions that include some dolly-tracking shots while utilizing different aspect ratios for some of the performances while much of the interviews are straightforward. Even with cinematographer Robbie Ryan keeping the visuals straightforward while the performances are shot with unique lighting presentation that include some unique lighting design with a few visual effects bit from Sam Brady in the lighting. There is also a scene where Marianne Faithfull does some poetry to precede a performance where Dominik shoots as she is getting ready while also showing that she is still dealing with an illness that she is trying to get over.
Editor Matthew C. Hart provides a straightforward approach to the editing as it include the performances in which he allows a lot of the shots to linger for more than 30 seconds while also showcasing the interviews that include Cave reading questions from The Red Hand Files that he runs as a way to communicate with fans. Sound recordist John Currie and re-recording mixer Adam Scrivener do amazing work with the sound in not just capturing many of the instruments that are played for some of the songs as well as some of the intimate moments and some of the chatter that goes on during the rehearsals.
This Much I Know to Be True is a marvelous film from Andrew Dominik. The film isn’t just something fans of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis should see but it is also a film that explore not just their collaboration but also their love of music as well as wanting to express themselves following the events of the COVID-19 pandemic whether it’s through music or art. In the end, This Much I Know to Be True is a remarkable film from Andrew Dominik.
Related: (20,000 Days on Earth)
Andrew Dominik Films: Chopper - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Killing Them Softly - One More Time with Feeling - Blonde (2022 film)
© thevoid99 2022
Set in early 2016 just months after the shocking accidental death of Cave’s 15-year old son Arthur who fell off a cliff at the Ovingdean Gap near Brighton, England. The film chronicles the making of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ 16th studio album during the course of 10 days as they’re finishing up the album with testimonies from Cave and his wife/artist Susie Bick discussing grief. The film focuses mainly on not just Cave and the band that consists of multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis, drummer Thomas Wydler, bassist Martyn P. Casey, keyboardist/percussionist Jim Sclavunos, and guitarist George Vjestica making new songs and adding new things to recorded songs for their new album that is written largely by Cave and Ellis who have worked together as a duo for film scores since 2005 that includes Andrew Dominik’s 2006 film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
Shot in black-and-white largely by Alwin H. Kucher at AIR Studios in London in the course of 10 days, the performances that feature large 3D cameras that would move around the studio for some of these long tracking crane shots that goes into the studio and the mix boards where there is a lot that Andrew Dominik is capturing along with traditional film cameras. With the exception of one performance in Distant Sky that is shot in color by Benoit Debie that include some unique visual effects shots from visual effects artist Sam Brady. Much of Dominik’s direction is straightforward as it feature some striking compositions in the performances that include some dolly-tracking shots around the band along with some shots where Cave and Bick talk about their own grief. The film also goes into deep into the creative process in how Cave and Ellis create songs as well as why Ellis has been this great collaborator to Cave ever since he joined the Bad Seeds in 1994.
With the aid of film editor Shane Reid, Dominik makes sure that a lot of the performances are presented with enough coverage on those who are playing as well as ensuring that there’s cuts that add to the drama including scenes of Cave talking about his songwriting in a cab. Sound designer Joakim Sundstrom helps cultivate some of the film’s voiceover narrations that come largely from Dominik, Cave, Bick, and Ellis as it play into the idea of making art gut also ideas on life with Dominik also providing some humorous commentary about his gripes over this 3D camera he’s using. Then there’s the music as a lot of it from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is somber yet gripping as the final song performed in the final credits by Cave and his sons Arthur and Earl with lyrics by Marianne Faithfull.
One More Time with Feeling is a phenomenal film from Andrew Dominik. It is a documentary film that doesn’t just explore a man trying to create and finish a record amidst tragedy but also cope with this intense tragedy. Even as he surrounds himself with his collaborators and family to help finish this record with these incredible songs while also talking about the many contradictions of life and art. In the end, One More Time with Feeling is a sensational film from Andrew Dominik.
Related: (20,000 Days on Earth)
Andrew Dominik Films: Chopper - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Killing Them Softly - This Much I Know to Be True – Blonde (2022 film)
© thevoid99 2022