A triumph of "style" over content

Rating: 1/10 (17 May 1999)

If the writer/director of this film is misunderstood he has only himself to blame. He could have included a resolved plot in his script - I mean all that cash from the producers to make a name for yourself, and this is what you come up with - please! The main characters are so obviously based on Bowie, Pop and DeVries that they cannot be parody. So is it a "rockumentary"? Well - no. Because it uses fantasy to portray its..er..message? Unfortunately there is no message - except perhaps some sort of dig at Slade/Bowie for reinventing himself and using ideas from others. So what's controversial about that? So is it attempting to give a taste and feel of the UK glam-rock era to those who were not there? Slightly unfortunate then that the writer/director was about 11 years old and living in the States at the time. All in all a clumsy, cliched, camp attempt - the cinematography looked like a school play. I've already forgotten the leading performances. Probably be a guarantee of cult obscurity for Rhys Meyers - poor chap.