Not freedom

Rating: 3/10 (5 February 2005)

Elite nightclubs are all about hedonism and the power of the young, rich, and beautiful; places where a rigid hierarchy holds sway, albeit an alternative one. One may understand why those in the in-crowd may enjoy such places; but to suggest that they symbolise "freedom" is a rather strange interpretation. But every Hollywood film has to pay homage to this virtue, however still defined, and so '54', Mark Christopher's film about a once-fashionable New York venue, tries to suggest there was something idealistic about the place, in spite of the fact there seem few ideals on view. To strengthen this rather weak idea, his script casts lead actor Ryan Phillipe as a young Adonis, who is far too sweet to serve as a useful vehicle into the dark side of this underworld; but he tells us there was something mystical about the place, and as the audience, we're expected to believe him, although all we see are a lot of dancing, drug-taking, and sex. Which might not be unbelievable, but is hardly unique. Meanwhile, the film's plot goes nowhere and even seems to bottle out of it's own natural climax. The real Studio 54 might indeed have been where it was all happening; but this gentle homage is really very bland.