Searching for Elliott Smith @ Norwood, October 23, 2009

Gil Reyes' Elliott Smith documentary proved to be a moving capstone for the CMJ Film Festival. Audience members packed two levels of the exclusive Norwood club to watch the film. Elliott Smith's fiancˇe, Jennifer Chiba, and Smith's former room- and band- mate, Sean Croghan, provided the most eloquent pictures of Smith as a depressed (yet wickedly funny) musical savant.

Chiba has been accused of murdering Smith-though, after watching Searching for Elliott Smith, it's hard to believe that she played any role in his death. She still seems so heartbroken by the suicide, and all of the accounts from Smith's friends state that the multi-instrumentalist was incredibly tormented.

A documentary highlight was the story of how, when Courtney Love was hot on Smith's trail at a party, as soon as she was about to enter the room shouting something along the lines of "where's the musical genius?" Smith disappeared like a ghost-his green sneaker fleeing was the last anyone saw of him that particular night.

RIP Elliott Smith. You are (clearly) missed.

Emily Parliman