Day 215

movie: Velvet Goldmind
starring: Ewan McGregor, Christian Bale
genre: Drama, Music,
year: 1998
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: Britain in the 1970's and the lives of four people change the course of the music industry forever.  A journalist in 1984 is given the job of doing an article on the anniversary of the disappearance of the biggest rock star of the 1970's.  Soon you discover the journalist is closer to the source material then anyone thought

So this is loosely based on the whole David Bowie character from his Ziggy Stardust days, and Iggy Pop/Lou Reed.

I got the David Bowie and the Iggy Pop references right off the bat, but I had no idea about the Lou Reed stuff until I went to look for the poster just now.  Then again, I was never a fan of Lou Reed so...

The imagery is lush and brilliant.  It really captures the feel of MuchMusic and MTV in the beginning states of the channels, and makes everything feel like a classic video.

There are so many elements that reminded me of The Wall and Tommy.   Just these wild over the top moments that seemed more designed for a big rock opera then a small film. 

This would have been done about the same time as American Psycho, and Bale proves that he can play older and younger and to the extremes. 

I can't get over how many of the actors' in this movie were doing "American" accents who are British and Australian. 

 

There is something to the undercurrent of this film, that leaves you more shocked by the anger then the nudity.  It's gritty when it needs to be and sweetly nostalgic when you're not expecting it to be.

what do i think i learned from this film?
Sometimes being in the moment is all you can ask for.  When you try to recreate a movement from your past, you can give a dishonest spin to it if you're not careful.  Everyone takes a bit of everyone else, sometimes without even meaning to.