Velvet Goldmine

Audience Reviews

View More

Dennui S @dennui Aug 2, 2025 Glitter goes camp. The performances are sometimes strong and sometimes a bit cringe. See more J R @RT04388765 May 19, 2025 Velvet Goldmine struts onto the screen dripping in glitter, eyeliner, and swagger — but beneath the dazzling facade, it’s a film still searching for its soul. Unlike its spiritual cousins Once, The Commitments, and Breakfast on Pluto — all of which earned their place with coherent storytelling, emotional heft, and unforgettable music — Velvet Goldmine spends too much time looking in the mirror. A film has to pay its rent, and while the others delivered on their promise, this one was in arrears. Visually stunning but narratively homeless, it’s a kaleidoscope of beautiful moments that never quite become a home you want to live in. And let’s talk about the music. While there are flashes of glam brilliance — a dash of T. Rex here, a whisper of Bryan Ferry there — the soundtrack leans heavily on pastiche and budget-friendly compromises. Bowie’s refusal to license his music casts a long shadow, and many of the stand-in tracks feel like imitations rather than homage. “I Wanna Feel It” is a prime example: a bland, forgettable tune elevated to anthem status by a crowd that reacts with religious fervour, betraying any sense of authenticity. It's hard to be moved when the music itself feels manufactured. A film about music needs to make you feel something — this just made me reach for the originals. See more Alec B @Alec97 Feb 27, 2024 A biopic that's both fake and real (which allows for several "Citizen Kane" references) with a number of earth shattering performances. See more Shioka O @RT54204327 Dec 11, 2022 Good or bad, it's like a 2 hour hallucinate music video. It's a nostalgia of glam rock in 70s, but now watched in 2022, it appears like a pure 90s film with those talented actors from UK. Directed in the Citizen Kane style. It's not a bio, the main character is fictional, a mixture of the iconic figures of that era, and I kinda feel cheated to hear those iconic songs played at once. (and no Bowie) BTW, the director made a documentary about Velvet Underground in 2021. See more isla s @RT89656869 Sep 4, 2022 The most memorable performances in this film, I felt, were from Christian Bale and Toni Collette. It was also nice seeing Eddie Izzard in this film too - he also does well in his role as Jerry Devine. Its a diverting, entertaining enough watch I suppose, with some amusing moments but I didn't feel there was very much in the way of a clear plot narrative/structure as such. Its alright but not a film I'd personally speciffically recommend as such, no. See more Jun 4, 2021 Connects "Citizen Kane" to "Rocky Horror Picture Show", and had the "Hedwig" ending before "Hedwig" was on screen. The music is great, Rhys Meyers is at his Dorian Gray-beautiful-best, and for those who need to know...McGregor lets it all hang out like Iggy Pop. Might I suggest "The Ballad of Maxwell Demon"? See more Read all reviews

Velvet Goldmine

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING