Velvet Goldmine

Picture it; London, circa 1969-1972. The lights of a concert are dimly light, lighting up a performer on stage. He's clad in a skin-tight silver vinyl unitard, that glitters, and to top it off he's wearing a collar of feathers. His hair is spiked and blue, androgynous features enhanced by thick make-up. Feathers are falling all around him, his fans are screaming wildly. The performer? Brian Slade AKA Maxwell Demon. His stage? Glam-rock.

Velvet Goldmine (the title of a David Bowie B-side) refers to the wild, raunchy days when glam-rock was 'it', girls AND boys both wore glitter make-up and platform boots, and it was in to be gay. The story centers around the performer, Brian Slade (modeled not-so-loosely on David Bowie), who's assasinated on-stage at one of his grand concerts. It's up to a British reporter named Arthur Stuart (played by Christian Bale) to research into the facts behind his demise. The thing is, Arthur's the best man for the job because HE was actually there. He was there when Brian was shot, and there when he was a young upstart with a record career.

Of course, things aren't quite what they seem, but it wouldn't be fit to spoil things. Anyway, since Arthur has to find out what happened to Brian BEFORE his assasination, he has to go back to talk to the people who knew him and his wild ways. Such as Brian's wife Mandy (Toni Collette), and a conglomeration of Iggy Pop/Lou Reed, Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor), his bisexual lover and co-worker.

Thus Arthur begins a foray into the deep, yet strangly one-dimensional past of Brian. This causes him to remember the times he lived in as a young teen infatuated with Slade and Wild, and the newfound discovery of his homosexuality. The movie focuses on Brian (played by the gorgeous Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) and his life, but what it all seems to come down to is Arthur's fall from social grace and and the discovery of his true self.

Oh well; the journey is filled with plenty of pretty colors, pretty men, naked Ewan McGregor, naked men TOGETHER, and GREAT music (the soundtrack is awesome). I'd recommend watching it as a Placebo fan as well, since they have a cameo in here.

Anyway, I think that sums up as much as I can without spoiling things. As a yaoi fan, and a fan of those mysterious gender-lines being crossed, I found this to be my favorite movie EVER. If you liked Bowie, Iggy, and all of those wonderful glam-rockers, you're in for a thrill as well. If you're a fan of Ewan, he's naked (again). If there are any doubts about this movie's content of yaoi, take a gander at this name:

Jack Fairy.

There you have it. I can't recommend this movie more then I already have. It's fantastic (but VERY long, at 2+ hours).

"Like a slap on my ass by a lipstick-kissed elbow glove."

Ah, long-live glam-rock.