What a disappointment...

Rating: 4/10 (26 November 2001)

As a fan of the lushly melodramatic, androgynous, and hedonistic style exemplified by artists like David Bowie and Queen's Freddie Mercury, I was immediately drawn to this movie. However, I was very disappointed to find that this was a film which rested on its laurels. Having already affiliated itself with the "glam rock" scene of the late '70's, it used no imagination in developing the characters or storyline, instead limping along rather predictably through the career of the supposed Brian Slade. Part of my problem was that, next to Ewan McGregor, I found Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, the male lead, to be decidedly uncompelling and not particularly sexy, despite all of the pouting and costume changes. Definitely worth seeing for McGregor's charged portrayal of Curt Wild, the one saving grace of the film.