GREETINGS FROM TIM BUCKLEY - TRIBECA REVIEW

BY MATEO MORENO

Now available on VOD and rolling out into theatres next month, Greetings From Tim Buckley follows musician Jeff Buckley (Penn Badgley, light years away from his time at Gossip Girl) as he travels to New York City to be part of a tribute concert for his father, the late singer Tim Buckley.  Jeff didn’t know his father, having only met him twice, but is drawn to the concert as sort of a way of letting go, of saying goodbye to a life that he never knew and to a man who unknowingly passed his musical gift onto his son.  There he’s drawn to a young intern named Allie (Imogene Poots) and through her friendship he finds another wandering soul he can attach to.

Director Dan Algrant has crafted a quiet and moving film here, showcasing the up and coming talent of Jeff and the beauty that his father was able to craft in his songwriting but not in his personal life.  It’s a delicate piece, and Badgley’s performance showcases it quite nicely.  His quiet intensity is compelling, and damned if his singing voice doesn’t remind you of Jeff’s own unique, falsetto heavy charm.  It’s truly a breakout performance, one that I hope doesn’t go unnoticed.  Poots is charming and vibrant as the girl of Buckley’s own eye, and the film’s flashbacks to Tim’s own life (here played with an innocent glee by Ben Rosenfield) are a moving companion piece to Jeff’s real “coming of age’ story.  The film itself moves like a song on Jeff’s own album “Grace;” quiet and unassuming and sparkling with an intense wonder.  Hallelujah, here he comes.

VERDICT: MUST SEE

Written by Daniel Algrant, David Brendel, Emma Sheanshang Directed by Daniel Algrant Starring Penn Badgley, Imogen Poots, Norbert Leo Butz, Ben Rosenfeld, Isabelle McNally, Kate Nash Language English Content Disclaimer (Adult Situations, Adult Language)  For ticket and screening information: http://tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets

BOTTOM LINE: A beautiful dive into the live of a pre-fame Jeff Buckley.