Country: USA
Movie Review: American documentarian Brett Morgen brings us an authorized biography of Kurt Cobain, the legendary lead singer/guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana. Even before the initial credits roll, we’re informed that the film was based on art, music, journals, super 8 film, and audio montages provided by the musician’s family. “Montage of Heck”, which has received limited theatrical release both in the US and UK, was fantastically conceived and edited, using occasional animation to recreate the fragments of Cobain’s life where no media was available. In addition to the mentioned media, we can listen to Kurt’s mother, Wendy O’Connor; his sister Kim; his former girlfriend, Tracy Marander; his friend and bassist in the band, Krist Novoselic; and obviously his wife and also rock artist, Courtney Love, who had the idea for this film. Curiously, Nirvana’s drummer Dave Grohl, who directed an interesting documentary called “Sound Studio” two years ago, wasn’t interviewed. The awesome voice of Kurt can be heard, not only in his powerful raw songs, in which he expresses all his anger and frustrations, but also through recordings where he unveils his first sexual experience, talks openly about drugs abuse, and makes considerations about his music and popularity. With a troublesome childhood in Aberdeen, Washington, characterized by the rejection of his own family and a few humiliating situations, Kurt developed a destructive side since an early stage, aspect aggravated by years of heroin addiction, illness, and depression. The film is elevated in its final part when his life with Courtney Love, likewise a drug-abuser, is nakedly presented. Throbbing with energy and ultimately sad, “Montage of Heck” discards traps, being mandatory for the fans and highly recommended for everyone else.
