Velvet Goldmine

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Dennui S Aug 2 Glitter goes camp. The performances are sometimes strong and sometimes a bit cringe. See more J R May 19 Velvet Goldmine struts onto the screen dripping in glitter, eyeliner, and swagger — but beneath the dazzling facade, it’s a film still searching for its soul. Unlike its spiritual cousins Once, The Commitments, and Breakfast on Pluto — all of which earned their place with coherent storytelling, emotional heft, and unforgettable music — Velvet Goldmine spends too much time looking in the mirror. A film has to pay its rent, and while the others delivered on their promise, this one was in arrears. Visually stunning but narratively homeless, it’s a kaleidoscope of beautiful moments that never quite become a home you want to live in. And let’s talk about the music. While there are flashes of glam brilliance — a dash of T. Rex here, a whisper of Bryan Ferry there — the soundtrack leans heavily on pastiche and budget-friendly compromises. Bowie’s refusal to license his music casts a long shadow, and many of the stand-in tracks feel like imitations rather than homage. “I Wanna Feel It” is a prime example: a bland, forgettable tune elevated to anthem status by a crowd that reacts with religious fervour, betraying any sense of authenticity. It's hard to be moved when the music itself feels manufactured. A film about music needs to make you feel something — this just made me reach for the originals. See more Alec B 02/27/2024 A biopic that's both fake and real (which allows for several "Citizen Kane" references) with a number of earth shattering performances. See more PridePosterStudios 09/20/2023 “During the Festival sequence where Brian sees Curt perform for the first time, Ewan McGregor was only due to moon the disgruntled crowd. But inspired by the antics of Iggy Pop, he improvised, and ended up gesticulating wildly while flashing the audience, leaping about with his trousers around his ankles.” See more Zuzka H 07/27/2023 Nice memory of glamrock, Bowie and others, but Christian Bale was so boring there. This character was inconsequential in this film. Ewan was given little space and I think that this theme could have been worked on more. See more Shioka O 12/11/2022 Good or bad, it's like a 2 hour hallucinate music video. It's a nostalgia of glam rock in 70s, but now watched in 2022, it appears like a pure 90s film with those talented actors from UK. Directed in the Citizen Kane style. It's not a bio, the main character is fictional, a mixture of the iconic figures of that era, and I kinda feel cheated to hear those iconic songs played at once. (and no Bowie) BTW, the director made a documentary about Velvet Underground in 2021. See more Read all reviews

Velvet Goldmine

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