Rock Fantasies Squared and Art-Designed to the Hilt

Rating: 10/10 (14 June 1999)

I thought this was a fabulous movie. I wanted to watch it again immediately and I regret not seeing it when it was in the theaters. Obviously, it's not for everyone and it only got mixed reviews by critics, which was why I didn't see it in the theater. It works primarily on the level of fantasy. No, the narrative doesn't really work. No, the David Bowie character isn't required to do much other than look pretty (which he does wonderfully - much prettier than David Bowie ever was, and Ewan McGregor is certainly 100 times prettier than Iggy Pop, as well as sexier). No, the Oscar Wilde references don't add much and don't make a huge amount of sense. And there definitely were several endings too many (although I didn't want it to end, so that was fine with me.) And they never explained how/why the fake murder happened. And yes, it would've been a lot better if Haynes had gotten the rights to Bowie's songs. But ultimately, I didn't care about any of that. As someone who was a teenager in the 70's with my own fantasies about being a rock star, who adored David Bowie at the time, and was fascinated with his bisexuality and gender-bending in general, this movie was fascinating and absorbing. While I personally prefer a more conventional narrative, the director's approach was refreshing. I also just thought the movie was fun. I don't think the movie had anything in common with Sid & Nancy, which was basically just a story about a rock star's decline, and depressing to watch. This movie was about alot more than that: the meaning of public images and identities, fame, fantasy. Rock stars are basically all about fantasy - everyone in the film was fantasizing about someone else.