Kurt & Courtney (1998)

So much average

Fantastic!

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

I watched this twice before i realized I had gained no new information about Kurt Cobain and that in fact, Courtney Love presented the most credibility of anyone in this meandering film, whose total point was to convince people that she had a hand in Kurt Cobain's death.Introduced to us by Nick Broomfield are a handful of drug addicts who don't like Courtney, her father who is trying very hard to make a living by castigating his daughter, and a very very sad alcoholic named El Duche who makes it clear he will say anything Mr. Broomfield likes if he will just pony up the beers. Sadly he dies. Plus the odd disgruntled former employee. What I never found out was anything about Kurt's parents other than they put him out at age 16, but not why or anything at all about them as people.There is a lot of pointless footage, such as a confrontation with some government official working in a building Kurt used to shoot bb's at.Anyone with any meaningful information about Kurt, his motives or relationship with Courtney apparently declined to be interviewed. Unless it was some fading Seattle punk scene leftovers who doesn't like Courtney.I thought she handled Nick Broomfield very well when he confronted her about things she did decades ago when she was young and new to celebrity. The one interesting thing I learned is that Kurt and Kourtney knew each other about 2 years before he took his own life which is very sad. Imagine having a new baby, trying to get your partner into recovery and losing him in that terrible way. And then having to carry on in spite of a bunch of unsubstantiated rumors about how you killed the guy.There are apparently people who love and care about Courtney given the trouble Nick had making his poison pen documentary but we never meet them. Worth watching for the complete freak show if you like that sort of thing.

So far I'm about half way through and I must say that this could have been a good film. As it is, its okay, but it misses the mark in several ways. He interviews people that you could meet at the mall or a flea market, no one important really. Maybe someone of import was at an industry party - where the producer would never be invited. I doubt he meets Courtney Love at all, she seems to be against this. There is NO music (so far) by Nirvana, or even Kurt (save some stuff he recorded at like 2 & 15 years old at his aunt's house). A doc about Kurt with no music by Kurt? Oh well. Even the band the producer goes to see who supposedly were influenced by Nirvana sounded like Misfits! Oh no.Also, he interviews some people who you think might have something important to say - but then, he can't put what they said in the film! What?! He sights British law issues (as he "films" for the BBC, or says he does) for some of the prohibition and for others he just leaves things out! Like the music. If this doesn't turn around considerably, I'd have to say miss this. If I ever do finish watching this and it turns into something good, I'll let you know. Although without any music by Kurt or Courtney, I seriously doubt it. * (of 5) at the half.Well, I saw the rest of the film. So the whole second half is pretty basic. He re-interviews Kurt's aunt and there's a guy who may have been hired to do something to Kurt, but (surprise!) his accusations couldn't be added to the film due to British libel laws. Oh well. He out accuses Courtney's dad of being a rotten father when its obvious that the man had been to hell and back with the woman. His main concern at that time was his granddaughter, and that she have a safe environment to grow up in. The doc's producer tells us he doesn't believe the conspiracies - that Love had anything to do with Cobain's death. Take that for what its worth. Given this, the later scene at an ACLU dinner doesn't make much sense. Courtney is shown to be capable of anything - the nanny that worked for the couple in Kurt's final weeks was obviously scared to say much on camera. He plays some tape of Courtney threatening the author of a "tell all" book, and its not a soft or veiled threat. This all culminates at the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) awards dinner where Love is a presenter and speaker. Before she takes the stage, the "extreme" "celebrity stalker", who had been in a scene earlier in the film saying he'd do anything to show Courtney's true colors - that he'd walk right up to her and ask if she killed Kurt or something, is at the ACLU function. He gets Love right on camera with the mic in her face! So this "extreme" stalker - who's partner in that early scene wouldn't even appear on camera without a mask! they are crazy guys - finally asks her a question for the producer of the film. Is it, did you have anything to do with your husband's death? Is it, did you threaten and/or assault journalists and writers? NO! He asks about a song he overheard when they went to her studio (where he was supposed to confront her and didn't!) and if she has any new members in her band! Extreme! Finally, the producer of the documentary, actually shows some real balls! After Courtney speaks, he gets on stage and basically calls the ACLU members gathered that they are hypocrites because they have a speaker who gives a speech about the importance of freedom of the press, while having intimidated, threatened and assaulted that very same press for writing and saying things about her that she didn't like. He does actually ask Love a question, and her answer is interesting. At the very end we DO get an original song. Unfortunately its by Kurt's aunt Mary, singing at a school where she is giving a talk about the horrors of drugs and addiction using Kurt as example. A very good message - I'm just not sure we needed to go through 90 minutes to get it.

The damning evidence, pointed one way or the other, is not to be found in Bloomfields' "Kurt & Courtney". There is no smoking gun contained in the last few frames or words. I believe this film maker had honestly set out to dig to the bottom of the supposed scandal, perhaps even moreso excited about the prospect of finding this intangible truth when many attempts fell through in the past. At this, he does appear biased at first; his initial questions have a tendency to steer his interviewee toward some desirable response, but as the film progresses and his attitude and convictions sway, you find that he wasn't trying to force an answer but rather he is quite graceless at interviewing. Half of the time I wanted to yell at him to stop interrupting. The backdrop of the film is Courtney, not just in her important link to the story but in the climate she distantly molded before the filming even began. In some obscure legal context, she tightens the screws from an affiliated production co. on Bloomfields project and ultimately has them cut off. Needless to say, she has a tendency to pick on little guys (shown in the film) and intimidate/threaten similar journalists who show interest in getting near the same subject at hand. The film, and all of the "evidence" within, becomes about Courtney. Insinuations about her past in relation to how she handled Kurt poses some interesting perspectives on a possible agenda she had been harboring. Not to mention her violent disposition (rolled in to her constant death threats to various journalists and people they reached), and the near-smoking gun of a half-assed confession from El Duce on the subject of being approached with the kill contract. A lot of it is incriminating, none of it evidence. But Bloomfields project, truncated as it feels, was not at a loss for purpose. Despite a lack of forensic proof, and the shaky testimony of peoples involved, Bloomfield carves out a clear and infallible MOTIVE for the murder of Kurt Cobain, and that is perhaps this movies achievement. It is worth it to watch and judge for yourself.

I went into this wondering what I was gonna see. I chose not to watch this for years just for the simple fact that the conspiracy theory hung so large over it. To my surprise Nick Broomfield just goes through this doc with him and a mic and talks to people Kurt knew. He doesn't believe the conspiracy theory he just wants to explore the idea of it. You have to remember that when this was made it was only 3 years after his death so it was still a fresh topic.I've been a fan of this band since its inception...so say 20 years. I've read everything that needs to be read about it and I can say for certainty that this was no murder for hire and or a conspiracy to kill Kurt Cobain. This was a sad tale of a guy from a broken lower middle class home who happen to have some "issues" and his pressure release was his music. If you don't believe this then rewind this movie and watch everyone the director talks to. I mean with the exception of Kurt's first girlfriend the rest were obvious dope addicts. So if this doesn't give you an idea of the friends he hung out with then I'm writing this to the wrong crowd. This guy was no straight lace buttoned down rock star. He had a bad marriage to another drug addict, he hated fame and drugs were getting the best of him. Pile that on top of the issues he already had and..well...you know the end result.I don't believe that Courtney Love had anything to do with this. I mean I believe some of the things that were said in this doc about her and what she might of said but to me she's a loud mouth more than anything else. Most normally don't go ahead with what they talk/threaten. If you need proof of this...look at her life now. Tragedy.This doc has more "rare" footage than any others I've seen on this topic. More friends and an actual family member interview. It was exciting to see and hear.If you want closure on this subject, read "Heavier than Heaven" and watch this doc...I think your conclusion will be the same as mine.