MOVIE OF THE WEEK

VELVET GOLDMINE (3/23-3/29)

"Time, places, people... They're all speeding up. So to cope with this evolutionary paranoia, strange people are chosen, who through their art can move progress more quickly."

So much has been said by critics and cinema-goers about director Todd Hayne's breathtaking view of the Glam Rock Era. For plenty of these views, check out the user comments on the Internet Movie Database, though most of these people just didn't get it. I'll be the first to admit that Velvet Goldmine is not a film that everyone will enjoy, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't watch it.

The story follows the rise and fall of a Glam Rock icon known as Brian Slade (in an Oscar-worthy performance by Jonathan Rhys Meyers), and his journey from wannabe revolutionary musician to faded superstar. Along the way, Brian changes the lives of American hard rock sensation Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor in one of his finest performances) and the beautiful American Mandy (Toni Collette, also spectacular) who has all the right connections to the British music underworld. Almost the entire film is told through flashbacks as news reporter Arthur (Christain Bale, awesome as usual) attempts to uncover the mystery surrounding Slade's final days in the spotlight before vanishing without a trace. Complete with symbolic references (both visually and with the story) to the literary works of Oscar Wilde, the film Citizen Kane, and the real lives of David Bowie, Lou Reed, and Iggy Pop (to name a few), the film intertwines these elements with a powerhouse of music and visual energy all "in tune" with the era in which it is based.

The music alone is worth the viewing, using classic hits and original songs created by some of the greatest musicians in music today, and in the film the songs are sung by the actors... live, on the set, too, not pre-recorded and dubbed over like most musical films. The sets are theatrical and yet surrealistic, and the costumes earned the film its only Oscar nomination. Writer/ Director Todd Haynes has finally gotten the critical acclaim he deserves with his new film Far From Heaven. One of the most visually original directors to surface in the flm industry in years, Haynes creates a feel of both 70's rock-style music videos and a dream-like state, and you're never quite sure where the dream ends and reality begins.

Whether you're a fan of the stars, the director, or just a lover of rock music, the film will atound your senses and blow you away. As of tonight musicals have officially come back in style with Chicago winning Best Picture, along with last year's brilliant Moulin Rouge!. If you're a fan of Far From Heaven, Chicago, Moulin Rouge!, and even Hedwig and the Angry Inch, this is one musical feature you HAVE to see. A definate reccomendation to anyone out there who hasn't seen it, and if you have you know that this is one of the only films that will truely show you something completely new and exiting every time you watch it. In other words... this is a perfect film, and one that shouldn't be missed.

Garth Simmons.

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