Review of Velvet Goldmine (1998) by Alyssa N — 03 Jan 2008

This is one of those movies that's so hard to describe, you really have to experience it for yourself. It's an ode to 80's glam rock, so expect all the unabashed glitter and glamor of the music scene and its idols.

But this movie also looks behind the shimmery masks of its characters into a world that's often dark and empty. The role of a reporter confronting his past ties to the glam rock scene adds yet another layer to the film, and he is played by a young Christian Bale whose performance shows that, while his fame may be relatively recent, his talent isn't.