On a personal level, it is very difficult to be objective when it comes to talk about Velvet Goldmine. If one can really award the title of 'Favourite Movie' to an actual single film, this one would be it for me. It is rather complicated to explain the reasoning behind my statement, since I don't think this is the best crafted movie I have ever watched or anything of the sort, but rather a state of mind. An experience, if you like. Surely, there are a thousand different ways to justify my words. However, since I cannot promise the most objective of reviews, take this as a warning. With that out of the way, let's talk about Velvet Goldmine.
Before this movie came into my life, I didn't know who Todd Haynes was. I am pretty sure he has never done a bad movie in his life, but that is a whole other story for another day—though I strongly recommend you watch Far From Heaven (2002) and Safe (1995), both starring the incredible Julianne Moore, and I'm Not There (2007), an ode to Bob Dylan and the importance of his figure and music. When I discovered Velvet Goldmine, I was starting to become mesmerised by glam rock, not only as yet another chapter in modern music history, but the cultural movement linked to it. Of course, it is impossible to get to this point and not be totally smitten with David Bowie and he was, indeed, one of the biggest things to ever happen to my teenage years. Even before knowing who I actually was, I used to listen to Bowie with a devotion that is pretty impossible to describe. Naturally, that can only mean that I was absolutely devastated when I learned that he had passed away, especially after releasing one of the best albums in many, many years—I am talking, of course, about Blackstar ☆ (2016) and the Thin White Duke's biggest and final act: his very own death. When Bowie died, I lost a friend I never had. He was not only an incredibly gifted artist and a creature beyond our earthly comprehension of things, but he was also a genuine man, so articulate and kind there are hardly any words that can describe him. I miss him terribly every single day. Nevertheless, when I stumbled upon this movie, we were not quite there yet: David Bowie was about to release The Next Day (2013) and life was simpler and definitely happier.
You might be wondering, in case you are not familiar with Bowie and his production, why the hell am I talking about the man behind the alien who was Ziggy Stardust, when I was supposed to be writing about Todd Haynes' Velvet Goldmine? The answer to that question is rather simple: Velvet Goldmine is the title of a Bowie song, and this is not accidental. In case you are wondering, the song talks about his first wife's nether regions. Yes, quite literally. If that doesn't explain my curiosity, I don't know what else could possibly justify it.
I would be lying if I said that I wasn't completely sold when I saw that the main characters were played by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Ewan McGregor, though. To those of you who know me from the time I started to be so invested in movies and acting, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers was my first ever cinema crush. I watched all of his movies up to 2015 and I could talk about his many talents and looks for hours and hours to no end. He was talented, handsome and so, so promising. I mean, he still is all those things and even more so, but he is not longer Hollywood's new sweetheart, and not many people talk about him anymore. Such a shame. On the other hand, there's Ewan McGregor. Yet another handsome and talented actor who stole my heart forever. However, and even with his many questionable career choices, Ewan has always known how to stay relevant and make the world love him like the charming Scotsman he is. As different as they are and the way they approach their craft, both actors have proved time and time again to be comfortable enough with their sexualities not to be afraid of bringing queer characters to life and to do so in a raw and very real way. With all this in mind, it's no surprise that they were meant to share the most fiery chemistry as Curt Wild and Brian Slade, AKA the main egos in Velvet Goldmine.
As if none of this was enough, the movie opens by introducing us to yet another transcendental figure in both queer and rock history: Irish writer Oscar Wilde. As shocking as this statement may sound, he is rightly introduced as the first pop idol ever, a model to writers and rockers alike. As T. Rex's Dandy In The Underworld (1977) embodies, Oscar Wilde's existence made it possible for dreamers to dream and for a real sex revolution in music to happen. In fact, just in case the importance of Oscar Wilde was not highlighted enough by this introduction, dozens of quotes from his many different works can be found throughout the movie, his presence like a blessing force that makes the characters somewhat more real.
Velvet Goldmine's plot is not the most original, since it is some sort of reinterpretation of the story behind David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)—however, there is a very interesting take at the end of the movie... but that is for you to find out. According to Haynes, he wanted to make a movie about Bowie, but it was during that time when Bowie started to show interest in making his own, so he refused to allow him to use his music, image or story—not only that, but he also threatened to sue the production if they ever attempted to show scabrous details about his personal life. Thus, Haynes created Brian Slade. Though his last name might evoke another band from back in the day, you don't need to read between the lines to be able to tell that he is meant to be Bowie, the same way that Ewan McGregor's Curt Wild is the Technicolor version of Iggy Pop. If you needed more real life references to connect the dots, Brian Slade creates a stage persona who answers to the name Maxwell Demon, a space rock star—same as Bowie did with Ziggy Stardust. Maxwell Demon, in the brightest moment of his career, fakes his own death on stage, which will lead a journalist—unexpectedly played by a young Christian Bale—to try and find out what actually happened, some years later.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I am not trying to say that this is definitely the best movie I have ever watched, but there are just too many things for me not to be able to say that this is my favourite movie of all time. The aesthetics, the music, the outstanding cast. More importantly, it was thanks to this movie that I became a Placebo fan, since Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal's appearance was not something I could just ignore and, once I got the film's OST, I simply became an addict. This is Ewan McGregor just a few years after Trainspotting, but this is also a Christian Bale who couldn't even imagine that he would end up playing Batman for Christopher Nolan one day. Not only that, but you can also see Toni Collette, who never disappoints. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, who used to talk in interviews like he really was Brian Slade, can really take your breath away—and he is just stunning, jeez. Todd Haynes reportedly said that, once he found Jonathan, he didn't even had to do a screen test to know that he had found his very own Maxwell Demon. He was just perfect, in every sense of the word. Couldn't agree more. Funnily enough, this was also the first time I saw Eddie Izzard, who I love and admire very much for her bravery and outspoken advocacy of LGBTQ+ rights.
I opened this review by mentioning that Velvet Goldmine was more of an experience than an actual movie for me, and I must say that I stand by it. I could be here writing for hours to no end, but no amount of praising will ever live up to what actually watching this movie feels to me. Thus, the only thing left for me to do is to kindly ask you to prove me wrong—or, hopefully, right.
A lot of glitter, Oscar Wilde, sex revolution and glam rock. An ode to rockers, queerness and the infinite magic of Ziggy Stardust.
What else do you need?
★★★★★
