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)
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