Review of Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (2010) by Kevin C — 29 May 2010

Hot on the heels of 'Nowhere Boy' another British rock biopic for me. Ian Dury's tale is a riot of clattering noise and kaleidoscopic colour, off-kilter imagery and foul language, all the good things the title promises and much more. It isn't hail the King, as Dury is a verbally abusive, dishonest, thoroughly disreputable but endlessly fascinating lyrical genius, exploring his past in a way that informs, but never seeks to explain. And you get the feeling toned down?

The refusal to sugarcoat Duryâ??s shortcomings really impressed me: we empathise with the self-pitying, class-obsessed, emotionally and physically crippled hero, but the film doesn't expect us to forgive his excesses. Serkisâ?? performance is remarkable, sometimes insane and a more subtle, heartfelt portrait of a life in turmoil.

A scene in which Dury revisits the hospital where he spent his childhood, coming face to face with a new generation of angry young outcasts, is quietly heartbreaking. Similarly, the central relationship between Dury and twitchy pre-teen son Baxter does a great job of outlining the unpredictable lows and highs of rock'n'roll. You donâ??t need to be a fan of Duryâ??s music to enjoy â??Sex & Drugsâ?¦â??. This is just gorgeous, celebratory cinema, unfettered and courageous, if unashamedly scattershot, much like the man himself.