A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake

The archetype of the sensitive singer/songwriter, British musician Nick Drake released a mere three LPs before his untimely death from an overdose of antidepressants in 1974 at the age of 26. Dutch director Jerome Berkvens’ lyrical, meditative documentary, A Skin Too Few, attempts to shed light on the brief life of this mysterious figure, whose stature and fan base has grown exponentially since his tragic end. The film divides his life into segments: his first early years in Burma, his youth at his family home in Tanworth-In-Arden, his college years at Cambridge, and so forth. Interviews with his few confidants provide valuable background information–college chum Robert Kirby, producer Joe Boyd, and most importantly, his sister Gabrielle, whose readings from Drake’s letters give insight to a private and increasingly introspective soul. The only existing footage of Drake–performance or otherwise–is a brief home movie from his childhood. Berkvans overcomes this obstacle with striking sequences in which the camera travels in Drake’s footsteps (his bedroom, the streets of Cambridge) while his songs unfurl on the soundtrack. Though a reverent, beautiful work, at a mere 49 minutes, fans will probably find A Skin Too Few all too short—just like the life and career of its enigmatic subject. —rottentomatoes.com