Velvet Goldmine (1998)

Rating: 4/10 (9 September 2019)

Directed by Todd Haynes. Starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ewan McGregor, Christian Bale, Toni Collette, Eddie Izzard, Michael Feast, Emily Woof, Joseph Beattie, Jim Whelan. (R)
Journalist Bale is given the task of discovering what happened to Rhys Meyers' androgynous glam rock star, Brian Slade (or, David-Bowie-but-not-really), an aloof cipher who disappeared from the limelight after faking his own death about a decade prior. Writer/director Haynes has created a stylish, excessive ode to the glam scene but forgot to craft an interesting story, clear attitude, or central character that's worth investigating; the plot structure is cumbersomely fashioned to echo "Citizen Kane," but the timeline and narrative are both so fragmented that it's a chore to try and follow. Starts promisingly, but the surreal kaleidoscope loses its luster after a while, and aside from the exciting stage presence of Curt Wild (or, Iggy-Pop-but-not-really, played by McGregor), the movie becomes a tedious drag in the back half. By the time the "secret" is uncovered, it's tough to even care. Makes a faint effort to tether it all to the life and writings of Oscar Wilde, but that idea is as poorly formed as most others in this erratic hodgepodge. Certainly no faulting the creative costume and makeup work, though, nor the soundtrack, which is made up of great tunes from the era (covers and original recordings), and features music from Slade and Wild's bands, which are actually comprised of talented musicians like Mike Watt, Johnny Greenwood, Ron Asheton, and more.
43/100