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2010
Dir. by Mat Whitecross
Biographical films seem to often be the result of an obsessive fan or admirer of the subject. Their stories typically then get an added boost of nostalgia or fanboy-esque fawning, where the subject at the center of the tale becomes perhaps more important than they actually were. However, when the subject chosen actually seems to be much larger than life it lends some credibility to the the film's efforts in the end and makes for a more entertaining time.
And such is the case with Sex & Drugs & Rock 'n Roll, the Ian Dury biopic starring Andy Serkis as the crazed, manic, polio-ridden entertainer. Given Serkis' aptitude for physical portrayals (Gollum in LOTR, the ape in King Kong), plus his apparent adoration of Dury's work he's a natural here, gleefully and flamboyantly stealing the show as, really, Dury did in his time.
The film starts with a strong, loud punch, mixing stop-motion, self-narrative and show performance into one grand opening number that sets up how Serkis is going to portray Dury. That level of frenzy returns at key career moments during the telling of Dury's story throughout the film. And yet the scenes in between these “highs,†detailing the passionate mess that was Dury's personal at-home life, especially his troubled relationship with his volatile, impressionable son, Baxter (Son of Rambow's Bill Milner, excellent here again). His long-suffering love interests wife Betty (Olivia Williams) and groupie Denise (Naomie Harris) each go through the struggle of loving and supporting the troubled artist who invests more into his career than his family or personal relationships.
Even though Ian Dury & the Blockheads only had a couple of chart-toppers it seems like the filmmakers here want to underline Dury's importance as an artist in his place and at that time of his popularity. Contrasting scenes of him facing an obstacle in his adult life and his rough childhood in a tough boarding school for polio-affected children are played throughout the film to demonstrate the strength of his character and how it developed and found its voice. While these seem exploitational or overly-sentimental (especially the flashbacks of the brief appearance of young Ian's father, played solidly as you'd expect from Ray Winstone) they provide a proper tone and story-telling technique that reaches a conclusive climax toward the end of the film, when Dury composes a controversial hit in support of the disabled (Spasticus Autisticus). It's a measured but sharp crescendo, showing that not only had Dury not lost a step but that he also held some things very clearly dear to his heart and was not about to compromise anything in his support of them.
If you're a fan of either Ian Dury or Andy Serkis then this film's a must for you. Stunningly well-shot and fairly evenly paced it's an entertaining look at a wild ride of a counter-cultural icon.
Rating: C+
