Review of Velvet Goldmine (1998) by Rainy N — 07 Jan 2009

While not in the least historically accurate, there are dozens of references, both obvious and subtle, that are a treat to anyone who is a fan of 70s glam rock, David Bowie, Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music, Brian Eno, Marc Bolan & T-Rex, and Iggy Pop. This is a costume drama as well as a period piece in the traditional sense. The look is spot-on and the music is a wet dream of the greatest hits of my personal favorite artists and songs.

Casting is terrific, especially Ewan McGregor as the thinly-veiled Iggy Pop character. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is very good as Brian Slade/David Bowie, although no one is as unearthly as Bowie himself. Throughout the film, Christian Bale had an amazing resemblance to a young Bryan Ferry. I don't know if this was intentional or not, but it added to the enjoyment of watching all of these art rock icons portrayed simultaneously.

I recommend this highly to anyone who is a fan of this era and it's music.