Starring Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Ewan McGregor, Christian Bale, Toni Collette and Eddie Izzard.
Written by James Lyons and Todd Haynes.
Directed by Todd Haynes.
Genre: Drama / Pseudo-biopic.
Released: 1998
Running time: 124 mins.
Rated: R
(American rating for strong sexual content, nudity, language and drug
use). Just from the sound of that you already want to see it; am I
right?
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120879/
Buy DVD: Click here
‘Velvet Goldmine’
tells the story of a 1970s rock star who – after a publicity stunt goes
too far and ends up infuriating the public rather than earning their
love – drops out of public notice altogether, not becoming a recluse so
much as completely non-existent. Years later, in 1984, a journalist
decides to track down the rock star, Brian Slade, by talking to the
people who knew him and tracing his road to fame.
‘Velvet Goldmine’ is
an interesting movie; which is to say, it’s not an entirely great movie
– it certainly has its share of problems – but it’s still well worth
watching. This is for a variety of reasons, the least of which is the
cast. From Christian Bale (the new Batman!) to Ewan McGregor (the new
Obi-Wan!) to Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (the new Elvis!) to Toni Collette and
Eddie Izzard (the new…uh…Donald and Ivana Trump?…uh…yeah…that’s right)
each member of the cast is pitch perfect. But that’s fairly obviously,
given their pedigree.
It’s also interesting
because of the intertextual references it makes, referencing everything
from ‘Citizen Kane’ to the works of Oscar Wilde. At the same time, it
has an amazing rock score, with such luminary acts as Lou Reed and
Placebo contributing to the soundtrack (Placebo even makes an
appearance as a glam rock band. Must have been a real stretch on their
talents, I know).
No, the most
interesting element of ‘Velvet Goldmine’ is its slashfic nature; the
whole thing is a very thinly veiled story between David Bowie and Iggy
Pop. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Ewan McGregor, through their characters
Brian Slade and Kurt Wild, play the closest thing to Bowie and Pop
besides the men themselves, and serve as an insight into what rock and
roll meant to people not just in the ‘70s, but in general, up to and
including the present day.
With staggeringly
beautiful visuals, a daring story, great performances and some
fantastic music, ‘Velvet Goldmine’ has a lot to offer. It’s a study of
sexuality, of celebrity, of identity and persona. It’s a film ripe with
meaning. Of course, like I said before, the movie is also a little
problematic – it meanders a little too much for my taste, and by the
end of it you’re left with a slightly disquieting sense of it having
offered too much and too little at the same time – but I still heartily
recommend it to anyone who has a passion for rock music, and what rock
can mean beyond the songs themselves.
Next week: Once again, I have no idea. Should be a surprise then, huh?
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