Review Of Velvet Goldmine

The music of the Glam Rock era underscores this remarkable film, from its hard-driving, penetrating heavy metal to the wrenching ballads reminiscent of torch songs.  However, look to the spectacularly delivered imagery for Velvet Goldmine’s real strength.

The film looks at the rise and fall of glam rock through the eyes of a journalist using one self-destructive musician as the everyman pop-idol (forgive the oxymoron, please) representing a generation of gender bending rebels.  The visual presentation captures the figurative and literal glitter with the angst that exists in the faces, music and life of the artists and their hangers-on.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers delivers a powerful performance as the fictional and somewhat mythical Bryan Slade, but the other actors hit the right supporting notes.  Ewan McGregor is particularly magnetic, sometimes painfully so.

Director Todd Haynes does a superb job of holding together the contradictory threads running through this fine film.  He makes sure that each part complements the whole in this three movement symphony.

Trailer is below.

Genre: Bisexual themed drama

Director: Todd Haynes

Language: English

Availability:  DVD

99Gay-Men.us Rating: *****

(Need an explanation of our rating system?)

Trailer Of Velvet Goldmine