All Sparkle and Song: A review of “Velvet Goldmine”

Audience: frequent reader of the New York Times
(Specifically someone who dabbles in viewing artistic movies)


All Sparkle and Song: A review of “Velvet Goldmine”

Don’t try to make sense of it, just enjoy the ride. “Velvet Goldmine,” titled after the song by David Bowie, and unofficially based on the pop icon’s life, follows the styles, relationships, and hair-dos throughout his career. With a spirited mix of Oscar Wilde quotes to spice up the dialogue, “Velvet Goldmine” is a disorienting conglomeration of late 70s music, glitter eye make-up, and bi-sexuality.

“Velvet Goldmine” is the journey of journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) as he investigates the life of former glam rock star Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). As Mr. Bale interviews the rock star’s past friends and lovers, the viewer goes on a sensory psychedelic trip through time.

Artistic direction was the key to getting inside the mind of the mysterious, reckless rocker. After watching the film, a vision of hot pinks, turquoises and silver lingers behind the eyelids, similar to the impression after viewing fireworks. Additionally, a number of scenes were frightening, yet mesmerizing, such as Curt Wilde’s (Ewan McGregor) musical performance of shouting amidst flames, ending in a full frontal view of Mr. McGregor, leather pants about his ankles.

Each actor plays into the hyperbole of his character. Mr. Meyers is all showy and beautiful, as a star of glam rock should be. Mr. McGregor plays the perfect counterpart (and lover) of Meyers, as a wild out-of-his-mind rocker with no regard for social norms, society, or himself. Christian Bale plays a stoic journalist, yet the flashbacks to his outcast, sexually confused youth are heartrending enough to endear him to the audience. And Toni Collette plays a sufficient rejected rocker wife as Mandy Slade, besides her puzzling accent transitions from American to affected British. However, at times the characters seem like mere devices to showcase the film’s true intention: to be one giant fantasy music video.

In “Velvet Goldmine” the music is the focal point. The music slows down the action, essentially aiding the viewer in making sense of the chaotic film. Throughout the film clips of music videos are edited in with minimal transition, making the film itself seem like a music video. The songs themselves are not memorable, but the way they are enacted with decked out feather and glitter costumes, heavy eye make-up, and flared hair is unforgettable.

For the most part, “Velvet Goldmine” is a mixed bag of glam rock and gay culture. The Oscar Wilde references are a nice addition to the film’s sexual vision, although they get lost at times amongst the overpowering visuals. Even with the superfluous storylines following a mysterious green broach and the career of a little shown character by the name of Jack Fairy, the film makes sense because it is about rock stars, and their music. In a rock star’s world only the music makes sense.