The Velvet Goldmine (Alert: Some Spoilers Present!)

Rating: 9/10 (21 April 2014)

I think the core issue that divides people on Velvet Goldmine is a sort of 'you had to have been there...or at least wanted to be there' state of mind. Some simply won't get it, but if you look at the stars and see possibility, hunger after a moment in the limelight and the chance to brush up against something weird, mysterious and wonderful, just for a moment...then this movie is meant for you.
I came into the world too late for the actual age of glam...it was all over long before I got there, but Arthur (Christian Bale) remains a strange parallel to my own memories of coming of age, coming out, and falling in love with and deep into a music scene that altered and enriched my life with experiences that might never have been had elsewhere. The soundtrack of my life might have played a bit differently, but the altrock/goth/industrial/punks at the end of the 80s and dawn of the 90s had their outrageous characters, and the descendants from glam rock were present in the pageantry and showmanship, the fabulous and the profane...so like the emerald brooch...the torch had been passed person to person, era to era, artist to artist...until something like that moment of wonder impacted against my life too.
So when I watch this movie, despite loving the references to stars of the 70s punk and glam scenes, and enjoying the music and costumes and characters immensely, my attention always returns to Arthur Stuart, who also brushed against something powerful, wonderful, dangerous and strangely sacred for just a little while...and has never been the same since. Enjoy it...it's a fine film, well shot and with superb acting...but if I can add one other piece of advice...get out there and brush up against something wonderful of your own.