Review of Performance (1970) by Jabadabadoo L — 19 May 2010

"Performance", directed by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg, is about a gangster, Chas (James Fox), who crosses paths with a rock star, Turner (Mick Jagger), after he must go on the run from other gangsters, and their identities get a little mixed up in the process.

The film tries to show that the two characters are not all that unlike, and while it isn't entirely successful, it is still very engaging. The film is full of Roeg's trademark frantic editing style, which mostly works well here in combination to the (somewhat dated-looking) psychedelic imagery to produce a great drug-induced vibe, and to show the connection between the two leads.

However, this editing style is perhaps used a bit too often and isn't very effective in the earlier parts of the film, as we have yet to meet Turner at that point. James Fox is good as a gangster who feels out of place everywhere, but it is Mick Jagger who steals the show in a performance (no pun intended) that really dissects his rock star image.

On top of all that, there is a sublime musical number ("Memo From Turner") that toys with Turner delving into Chas's world the way Chas delves into his. Immensely watchable despite its flaws.