A triumph of style over substance

Rating: Null/10 (27 August 2004)

Velvet Goldmine comes off as a fanfiction trying to pass itself off as a 'serious film'. Todd Haynes throws in a storyline about Oscar Wilde in an attempt to link flamboyant gay men throughout history, which doesn't add much to the film's value. It's not all bad though. The soundtrack has its moments of glory, and the wardrobe department clearly revel in their chance to go over the top. Despite a decidedly wobbly accent, Ewan McGregor pulls off a reasonable Curt Wilde, leaping like an epileptic salmon and writhing on the stage floor like an Iggy Pop clone. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is suitably androgenous, if a little bland. A few cameos are amusing- such as when you realize that yes, that IS Thom Yorke's voice Rhys Meyers is miming to, and that helium-voiced singer that looks an awful lot like Brian Molko really is Brian Molko.. The editing could stand to be a lot tighter, and the storyline would have benefited from concentrating on the Brian Slade story rather than the Oscar Wilde details, but overall, this is an enjoyable, suitably glittery piece of fluff.