What Lindsay likes about the film… I like the movie because I like glam rock, and I think boys in make-up are cute.

First things first: Any jokes you have about my wife liking boys in make-up? Keep ’em to yourself.

I wasn’t around for the glam scene, but I want to believe that this film got a lot of things right. It’s the music of decadence and pageantry; a sound that cares less about boys and girls, and more about all of them intermingling until you can’t tell who is who. It’s about living lavishly, if only for a few hours, and VELVET GOLDMINE is a great sketch of what can come from such excess.

In some ways, I wish more filmmakers eschewed a standard bio-pic and instead told stories like VELVET GOLDMINE. For starters, it would free them from the shackles of what did and didn’t actually happen. Further, it would unlock so many possibilities when it comes to deciding what way they want to tell the tale at hand. Slade’s music has so many overtones of alter-ego and sexual ambiguity, that to play it all straight would be a disservice. Besides, all it takes is fifteen or twenty minutes of plot, and you can easily tell what real personalities are being portrayed (for the uninitiated, Rhys-Meyers is David Bowie and McGregor is Iggy Pop).

Of course, I say that now. Pardon me while I remind myself how little I cared for I’M NOT THERE.

While I had a great time with the film overall, the hiccup with telling an interpretive biography is that it can leave things feeling a bit disjointed. Time after time, it played as though I was reading a long article on Brian in a magazine. That is something I enjoy, but what I wanted more was to sit down with a good 300 page biography of him instead. The artiness, and broken narrative felt wonderful to drift in and out of, but after a while you find yourself wanting to hear the straight-story.

I have no idea why it has taken me so long to watch this film given how big a David Bowie fan I am (on a related note: We miss you David, please un-retire). I’ve seen him perform live twice, but his days of working a camera or a stage the way that Brian Slade does are long gone. I never got to sway in an audience with my fellow diamond dogs and worship at the altar of Ziggy Stardust or Aladdin Sane, so you’d think I’d have dropped the needle on VELVET GOLDMINE a long time ago. Alas.

The film has its flaws, but the overall aesthetic is “rock and roll”. If you need any further evidence of the film’s attitude, remind yourself that we’re talking about a movie that begins with a title card that says: “Although what you are about to see is a work of fiction, it should nevertheless be played at maximum volume”.

This was a great start to the series, since really it felt like I was digging into my wife’s movie collection and music collection all in one go.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m out of eyeliner.

15 Replies to “Sweet Pain: VELVET GOLDMINE”

  1. You paraphrased what is possibly my favourite Oscar Wilde quote to describe this, so first I must compliment you on that.

    I really like this film, even though I am not a proper glam rock fan. Something about men in make-up, honestly! It was weird and pretty and other-worldly and fun. Yes it had flaws, but I was so in love with the look of this film, and also the cast, that it was a lot of fun to watch. I wish biographies were like this too.

    1. Well perhaps if you love this film so much, you should dig into the whole world of glam a little more. Get your hands on some music, find a good book or two on the whole scene to read and immerse yourself for a few weeks!

      And you’re right, the little flaws are what endeared me to the film even more – it was also quite nice to see Christian Bale play someone so well-adjusted for once.

  2. I also liked this movie when I watched it a few months back. If you’re interested, there are some funny interviews with Ewan McGregor about his rooftop scene with Christian Bale out on the net.

    1. She has her moments.

      Thanks by the way for taking such a shining to this series of posts. I wasn’t sure if they would work, or if anyone would care, but it really gave me a smile to see so many comments (including a lot of yours) coming back to me while I was away.

  5. I have a massive soft spot for this film even though each revisit seems to reveal a new flaw. With a bit more editing, I think it could have been an out and out rock masterpiece (helped by the fact the music is divine and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is at his best here). Would have been great to see how this would have turned out had Bowie granted them permission to run with their original plan. But, admittedly, I kind of like the weird way the characters become blurred composites of all the era’s personalities (Bowie/Bolan/Ferry vs. Pop/Ronson/and a touch of Eno).

    1. First of all, you were missed at the bar last Friday night.

      It’s funny, because even though I would lift this up as one of “the great rock movies”, you’re right in that I can’t call it a masterpiece because of those tiny flaws. I think music fans will love it, but don’t know how well it plays to those who don’t care.

      Funny your mention of composite characters. When Haynes made the Dylan film, he reversed the idea by having multiple actors play the same character.

      Not sure which idea I like better…

  6. Great review. I remember watching this one many years ago when I was exploring the filmography of Christian Bale and didn’t really like not. Not my style, I guess. Maybe if I’d watch it now, I’d appreciate it more.

    1. Perhaps. It’s not so amazing that I’d give it my “watch it again” stamp of approval. The only thing I’d suggest is that if you find yourself interested in that era of rock history, it’ll play a bit better.

      Other than that, you get what you get.

  7. I watched this one solely to see Bale in drag and he did not disappoint. The movie itself, or just glam rock in general, isn’t really my cup of tea though, but worth a watch for the cast, surely.

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