Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll follows in the now well established tradition of films like 24 Hour Party People (2002), even the recent biopic Bronson (2008), and takes a story of a well known British pop culture icon and sets out to tell the story of their life, whilst adding flights of fancy and fantastical scenes for artistic licence. This should not sound as derogatory as it does, and as Ian Dury (Andy Serkis) says in the film: “Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.”
That story follows Ian Dury, lead singer of British Punk-Rock band The Blockheads, through his early days in the 1970’s, and the rise and fall of his career in the 1980’s. The story pays particular attention to the fact that Dury suffered from the debilitating disease polio, which he contracted as a young boy; and the way in which this not only affected his career, but also his relationships, both with his wife, lovers, his band mates and his young son Baxter (Bill Milner). The film mixes live music (performed by Serkis himself), injected into the main meat of the drama that takes place in the film, the overarching theatricality of the film representing Dury’s own aesthetic; giving the movie the feel of an ethereal ode to a passed English eccentric, which in a way it is.
Serkis’ performance is beyond show stealing, he owns the film as he has owned others in the past: even when the man does not appear directly on screen, as with his role as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003), he can create an aura of great infectious passion and intensity. My knowledge of The Blockheads and Dury himself was minimal before I saw this film, and I don’t think of myself as somewhat of an expert having experienced it: but the story, characters, music and look of the film are enjoyable enough to shake the sense that what you are seeing on screen is somewhat of a exercise in hero worship for the filmmakers. That said, Dury is no saint, and Serkis’ performance shows not only the great love that Dury had for his nearest and dearest, but also the fear, anguish and hatred he felt due to his disability, and the vaguely selfish nature of his career. The supporting cast are fabulous, in particular Milner as Dury’s impressionable son Baxter, and the film’s theatrical sideshow style suites Serkis’ performance exactly. The film’s visuals can be a little hard to swallow at times, but Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll suffers little for it; shining as a little British gem in a month of big foreign releases.
By Alastair
No comments:
Post a Comment