Kurt Cobain: About a Son

It’s clear almost immediately that Kurt Cobain: About a Son has little to offer detractors of the deceased Nirvana singer, though AJ Schnack’s directorial choices admittedly lend the proceedings a surprisingly artful sort of vibe. The filmmaker, working from over 25 hours worth of interviews conducted by music journalist Michael Azerrad, generally does an effective job of matching Cobain’s musings with visuals that are often stunning – though it’s clear early on that a little of this goes a long way. The film follows a linear path through Cobain’s life and career, starting with his traumatic upbringing (his father was abusive, he was a loner in high school, etc) and eventually winding up at his wild success with Nirvana. There are a number of genuinely poignant moments here – Cobain’s desire to watch his daughter grow up is surely the most obvious example of this – and the film ultimately offers an extremely rare glimpse into the mind of one of rock and roll’s most notoriously tortured figures.

**1/2 out of ****