Review of Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (2010) by Bob L — 03 Feb 2010

Serkis IS Ian Dury- a brilliant choice of casting here. This biopic shows his life through an afterlife stage act very simular to Fosses 'All That Jazz', occassionally using graphics by non other than Peter Blake (the Sgt Pepper artist).

Serkis plays Dury as a complex, difficult man who combined the obnoxiousness of those with an upper class education, and arrogance of the working classes. Revelling in the English language, and focusing it on the music industry, his tantrums seemed to be accepted as being a tortured artist.

One part social rocker, one part poet, one part family guy, all vaudevillian; this shows the highs and lows throughout his career as he developed his bohemian lifestyle to kick back against his upbringing and illness, and the wreckage to his wife and children on the way.

The main problem here is that it preaches to the converted. Some things are not explained, like his acting career, or even his death, which to those who have never heard of him will make them wonder at the point of this biopic.

But then, as Dury himself says 'if you want a message, go to the fucking Post Office.'.