Heaven Adores You

Elliott Smith started out playing in bands in Portland, then moved to recording alone with an acoustic guitar. His songs were sung quietly, layered over each other, and intensely personal. In 1998 a song from Good Will Hunting was nominated for an Oscar and he performed it on stage in a white suit; that moment is the best-known image of his career. He moved to New York and then to Los Angeles. He died in 2003 at thirty-four. Nickolas Dylan Rossi's documentary makes three cities the spine of the narrative: Portland, New York and Los Angeles. It does not put his death at the centre; its interest is in how the songs were written and recorded. Friends, engineers and bandmates speak. Previously unreleased recordings and home videos are used in the film. Who it's for: Elliott Smith listeners, and viewers who like musician portraits and 1990s independent music. Who it's not for: The narrative skirts the hard subjects; addiction and death pass very quickly. It also does not introduce the songs well enough for a newcomer.