Velvet Goldmine

Velvet Goldmine
by Todd Haynes

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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Christian Bale, Eddie Izzard, Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Toni Collette
Director: Todd Haynes
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: Letterbox, 1.85:1
Running Time: 119 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-05-18
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Miramax

Movie Reviews of Velvet Goldmine

Movie Review: Glitterati
Summary: 4 Stars

I admit it: I'm a little OCD-like concerning Jonathan Rhys Meyers. I've been backtracking to many of his older films, and the more I see, the more I've come to respect his obvious talent, charisma and overall joie de'vivre with every role he tackles.

That being said, the first time I viewed VELVET GOLDMINE I felt as though I smoked peyote and dropped acid at the same time. It was just an acid washed trip down memory land (a memory lane that I wasn't familiar with, seeing as though I was a product of the 80s-90s Michael Jackson/Prince/Madonna phenomena). I really had to take several deep, cleansing breaths after finishing and question my sanity in purchasing the movie.

I decided to give it another shot a few days later (once the peyote/acid remnants *imagined* had worn off). 2nd time around, I fared much better, and really started to peel back the layers that Todd Haynes was trying to convey. Some quick observations:

Ewan M./Curt Wild-As much as I admire Ewan's boldness in going the "full Monty" route (again *sigh*), his best parts in this film are when he's at his most quiet; I love the look in the restaurant (looks like the Russian Tea Room in NYC) when he tells Brian "You could be my main man." One issue (and this isn't Ewan's fault) is his "look." Why is he a clean-cut Curt Cobain clone? If the production team were trying to *loosely* base Curt Wild on Iggy Pop, then the look should've been grungier and wilder (no pun intended) looking.

JRM/Brian Slade-Such an absolutely exquisite, gorgeous creature. His characterization of the virile, feline, effeminate glam-rockers is very, very eerie (one standout to me, is in the "Perfect and poisonous" montage when he's skipping/dancing in the street, and smooches the sailor-after they've kissed, he does a small twirl/hop that's so girlie, but believable). His vocals (which have gotten stronger over the years-check him out on the AUGUST RUSH soundtrack) are more than adequate, a pleasant surprise for someone unfamiliar with his work (his heartbreaking rendition of "Sebastian" gets me every time).

Toni Collette/Mandy Slade-I've really appreciated Toni's work since MURIEL'S WEDDING (she did a good job with a mess of a script in IN HER SHOES as well). She's so effervescent in the beginning of this rockin' time, but is so downtrodden and bitter by 1984. She does the role such justice.

Eddie Izzard/Jerry Devine-Playing a "suit" is a new one, but it really worked. Izzard's totally over-the-top (in a good way) as an ambitious (yet caring-sort of) manager. He goes for the gusto every time he steps in a scene.

I've watched the movie about 5 times since purchasing, and am planning on getting the soundtrack (to be played at maximum volume of course!) also. It's grown on me for sure. Give it a whirl. If you don't understand after the first time, let it marinate for a few days, then try again. 4-star effort.

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Summary of Velvet Goldmine

Todd Haynes, ever unpredictable, follows up his experimental trilogy Poison and his restrained Safe with this flamboyant study in glam rock through the kaleidoscopic lens of Citizen Kane. Christian Bale plays Arthur Stuart, a reporter sent to investigate the legend of rock legend and bisexual pop icon Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as a not-so-thinly veiled David Bowie), who disappeared a decade ago after staging his own mock assassination. But Arthur is flooded with memories of his own adolescence as he interviews Slade's friends and business associates, peeling back the layer of makeup and spangles that was the model of rebellion for a generation of middle-class British kids and discovering a hollow center. Ewan McGregor almost steals the film as the punk pioneer Curt Wild (equal parts Iggy Pop and Kurt Cobain), the genuine article to Slade's calculated, coifed image of glitter stardom. Haynes's film lacks nothing in capturing the flamboyance and spectacle of the era with flashy filmmaking and kitschy costumes, and if the plot seems lost in the preening and visual fireworks, perhaps that's the point: behind the fa?ades and manufactured fronts is nothing but glitter, energy, and a beat. --Sean Axmaker

Starring Ewan McGregor (MOULIN ROUGE, TRAINSPOTTING) and Jonathan Rhys Meyers (THE GOVERNESS, MICHAEL COLLINS) -- executive producer Michael Stipe of R.E.M. presents this electrifying journey through rock 'n' roll's most outrageous era! It's been 10 years since glam-rock superstar Brian Slade (Meyers) faked his own death and vanished from the spotlight. Now, it's the job of an investigative reporter, Arthur Stuart, to locate this living legend and uncover the truth behind his disappearance! Through the course of Stuart's investigation, you're taken for a wild, all-access guided tour back into a vibrant music scene ... for an uncompromising look at the flamboyance and excesses of its larger-than-life stars! Acclaimed by critics, VELVET GOLDMINE also earned an Award of Merit at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival!

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