Visual Candy

Rating: 9/10 (5 January 1999)

Up until this point I saw Todd Haynes as quite possibly the dullest director of contemporary film. With fans referring to his slow paced gaps between plot points examples of his mastery of the subtle. Safe would have been best filmed as a short. Velvet Goldmine, was a surprise. I wasn't prepared for his switch from minimalism to an overwhelming visual experience. Eye Candy. He kept me waiting to see what he was going to do next. Hungry for more. The true beauty of this film was the removal of realism. As the film grew more outrageous, the less the plot relied on truth. At the same time it was entertaining to see who his caricatures represented. Constant speculations arose of a caped "Eno?", a rowdy "Bolan?", and the tough girl "Suzie Quatro?".
My one complaint about the film would be Ewan McGregor. While trying to create an Iggy-esqe character all they ended up with was a bad Kurt Cobain.
As all candy is meant to be instantly gratifying this stunning film left me more than satisfied.