Rating: 
Summary: Glam - The Whole Strange Story
Review: This picture of the world of British Glam Rock displays one of the best movie soundtracks around. From the outfits to the strange story-line that you figure out in the end, the movie takes you on a whirlwind of thoughts, dreams, ideals, and even truths about Glam; the music that was made and the people that made it. Toni Collette to Ewan McGregor--Christian Bale to the lovely Johnathan Rhys Meyers, you see them acting at their best before Muriel, Obi Wan, American Psyco, and the Governess. I was impressed by the costuming and the extremity that the director went to to describe the occurances, rumors, and misfortunes of the Glam Rock era. Rent it, buy it, and purchase the CD too. If you enjoyed Boogie Nights, you will enjoy this. It gives deep insight to what that period in music history really was and how it affected its audience.
Rating:
Summary: It is quite amazing!!
Review: The whole world of Glam Rock seems to suck you in and you get stuck. Its a weird but good movie. at first i was confused and didnt like it much but i watched it again and i couldnt stop and i understand it better. Ewan and Jonathan and Christian put on a good show i'll tell you that. it seemed a bit promiscuous to me at first and then i got over it. its a great film and i think everyone does a great job pertraying their characters. if your even thinking about watching it you should!!
Rating: 
Summary: wish i coulda been there
Review: one of the best movies ive ever seen. It conveys pure emotion and experiences in a very artistic way, both in the unique structure of the movie and its musically and visually stimulating style. perhaps many people don't care for it because they can't relate to the themes this movie attempts to convey. Much of the movie relates ideas very psychological in flavor. Foremost is that of 'soul searching' or discovering ones self, a theme that is commonly found both during the years of youth and at times when a person is faced with the dillema of extreme success or fame. velvet goldmine shows how for many people, realizing their true selves comes with redefining the norm, from style to sexuality to ideals and beyond. we see how precious inspiration can be to an individual; we see the destructive paths people follow to find, well, whatever it is they are looking for; we see how powerful the imagination and its creations can be; and we see most of all that the young and the restless have extraordinary experiences worth learning about. its a keeper, a work of art. i agree with jill, the movie is like a dream, beautiful but dangerous.
ps i didnt think christian bale was all that bad. he seems ackward, unfitting, slightly uncomfortable but altogether innocent and earnest, just like the character should be.
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME STUFF!
Review: omg! anyone who wants to have a blast watching a movie with a great soundtrack and a hott cast this is for you! i didn't even know about this until my sister rented it! it was awesome! i think everyone should see this!!and i has a GREAT plot!
Rating: 
Summary: Glam Fun
Review: I thought this was better than most "rock star" movies, quite visually compelling and I absolutely love the music of that scene/era. (I encourage everyone to get the soundtrack and to collect Bowie, T-Rex, Eno and Roxy Music.) The clothes and makeup were great. But except for Toni Collette and Ewan McGregor no one really seemed to know what they were doing in the film. Christian Bale - who seems like he could be a good actor if only someone would find him a good role - wanders through all the glitz and camp in a gloomy daze, and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, while quite pretty to look at, just seems to pout his way through. Maybe Todd Haynes was "saying something" but I just wanted to enjoy the glam and kept feeling, annoyingly, that I was supposed to be getting a "message." (I loved Safe, by the way, so I've nothing against the director)It's worth seeing though, just admit to yourself you don't care about Alfred and relax and enjoy the ride. The music alone makes it worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: Warning!... Mr. Blinky goes to Brown Town
Review: That is what the movie title should have been. I cannot communicate how resentful I feel that this movie stole my time. In the opening scene, an alien vessel deposits an infant Oscar Wilde on the doorstep of his "to-be" parents along with a green pin. When Oscar reaches preteen age, he declares in class that he wants to be a "pop star". It was at this point that I should have turned the movie off, because it only got worse. Flash forward a hundred years to the main character of the story who now has the pin. I believe in giving the writer lee-way, but come on!! Is he trying to tell us that artisitic gay men were deposited and/or watched over by aliens? After 20 minutes, I fast forwarded over most of the movie- except for the parts with Ewan McGregor- that was another mistake! I could go on, but I won't waste anymore of my life on the stupid flick. If I could give it negative stars I would. Do yourself a favor and buy Moulin Rouge (2001) instead.
Rating:
Summary: stellar cast and far out cinema create incredible parable...
Review: a lot of people will tell you they don't like velvet goldmine. they say it has no plot, or that it's boring, or its just based on david bowie's life. if you lived through the 70's and you're looking for a movie that is totally about celebrating the glam of your youth, then maybe this movie is not for you. however, if you're nutty for well crafted historical fiction, insanely innovative cineamatography, and really good, well acted movies than velvet goldmine will be right up your alley!! velvet goldmine is about a young reporter (Christian Bale) who's been running from his past for ten years. the decade has brought him full circle to the ackwardness and loneliness he's been trying to escape, by taking him down memory lane in his latest assignment; an article asking, "what ever happened to brian slade (johnny rhys-meyers)?". on his quest, the reporter hears a very bowie-esque (and cinematographically, amazing) story about slade, and in the end, discovers that he doesn't have to run from his past anymore.
Rating: 
Summary: Inside out
Review: As a big fan of both Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Ewan McGregor, I had high expectations for this movie.
However, I have seldom spent a more depressing 2 hours watching a film.
Nobody is likeable.
Star Brian Slade (a rocker portrayed by hot new Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is given very little to do except prance about in makeup that makes him look variously like a space alien, the Grinch that Stole Christmas and a refugee from the thrift store. Slade is supposedly instantly charismatic, a trait that often opens doors for him. Yet it is hard to understand how anyone would be drawn to his shallow, manipulating, self-centered character. He hasn't a single redeemable feature except for a striking physical beauty, which isn't enough to carry the movie.
Ewan McGregor as a washed-up rocker who gets a career rescue from Slade as his drug and alchohol problems peak, pretty much steals the movie, but his character's motivations are mysterious - and remain so througout.
The motivations and inner workings of the people involved are never really explored except through glib cliches.
The movie makes the mistake of believing its audience already is invested with awe, nostalgia and reverence for the whole glam rock phenomenon, which many of us missed the first time around.
Although its reference to gay issues is woven through the entire movie, it doesn't have the courage to openly focus the movie as a "coming out/coming of age" movie about what it was like to discover - for the first time - that a pop cultural phenomenon was aimed at a gay and bi audience.
That might have been an interesting, uplighting movie.
Velvet Goldmine most certainly wasn't. Lady Fushia
Rating:
Summary: Visually delighting
Review: Whether you like glam rock or not is not that important here. This movie is just Great. Why? It's beatifully constructed, the images follow a somehow "magic" sequence, it has a psychological effect so as to say... The story is also a good one, it covers different issues but they of course relate to: pleasure,beauty and art. And yes this a really artistic film, it evokes sensations, it's very artistic (in a way) it all tends to beauty. And that can be confirmed by the fact that it relates to Oscar Wilde (and precisely to Dorian Gray's Portrait, if you have read this book before you'll enjoy more the movie) as he is mentioned and quoted in the film.
The cast is also great. The performances of E. McGregor and Jonathan Rhys Meyers are just perfect, and also Bale, it's quite interesting to watch him in a role like this (after watching him in American Psycho).
In conclusion it's a film about beauty, senses and freedom (being what you want no matter what).
Rating:
Summary: MESMORIZING! BEAUTIFUL! SEXY! ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES EVER!
Review: After reading several negative reviews on this film, I decided that I must add my two cents. THIS MOVIE IS FABULOUS! If you love Ewan McGregor, you must rent this (you've never seen him in a role quite like this!). If you love Jonathan Rhys Meyers, he is lovely in Velvet Goldmine.
Something to clear up: this film was INTENDED to be based on David Bowie...this was no accident. Apparently, Bowie gave them permission to use whatever they wanted from his life, so long as they gave the character a different name. That is exactly what they did.
For those of you who have yet to see the film, a suggestion - let the first 20 minutes wash over you like water, don't think too much. This movie was made to seem like a dream, beautiful but dangerous:). On the second viewing, you begin to really appreciate how authentic all the characters are; you see the desperation to "assume a pose" and just how dangerous that mentality can be. EVERY TIME YOU WATCH IT, YOU SEE SOMETHING NEW.
I've seen this movie at least 15 times (it's on my television now, as a matter of fact), and it is still entertaining! SEE IT NOW!
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