Rent Stardust (2020)

Very dull Bowie bio - Stardust review by TH

What can I say I came for the Bowie story and left feeling very underwhelmed.

The story is really dull, acting unconvincing and just felt flat despite being about David Bowie and his creation of Ziggy Stardust.

Hopefully a better more interesting biopic will be here soon.

Excellent entertaining Bowie Biopic - Stardust review by PV

Heard a dreadful review for this on BBC radio 4 from arch Bowie Fan Mark Commode and it's his usual full of it approach (well there's a man who actually states the absurdity that old films were 'made before their could benefit from colourblind casting' Yeah right, so maybe he wanted Idris Elba to play Bowie? Or Miss Lenny Henry? Or Cush Jumbo?)

SO glad I ignored the bad reviews and watched this. Yes, I am a Bowie fan since sealy 80s CHANGES ONE and CHANGES TWO best of compilations. ANd I saw him live 1996. BUT I am no Bowie obsessive so do not feel personally hurt if a film is not like one I would make of him.

Also I am too young to remember Ziggy Stardust - my first Bowie was 1980's Fashion, Ashes to Ashes and Scary Monsters, and prob his best album is Hunky Dory (his 4th - great critic reviews but did not take off). Hence I watch this as a short biopic of that time, not a hagiographic bowing tribute to Bowie.

I enjoyed the story, the character arcs, and the connection with Bowie/;s schizophrenic brother Terry (though I did know he killed himself by throwing himself in front of a train in the mid 80s). I enjoyed all that. And the fantasy sequences - which was tied up with drugs at the time of course. Bowie was addicted for much of the 70s, cocaine and more.

I thought the main actor did well as Bowie - the final performance sections are superb. It is very unfair the way his performance gets trashed by Bowie fans who are so invested in the David myth that no actor could play him to thjeir satisfaction.

Some characters are a bit old perhaps - Tony Visconti (my favourite producer) is the same age as Bowie yet looks around 50 here. I did like the portrayal of Bowie's parents and his back story re mental illness in his mum's family. Good to hear Bromley get a mention too (Bowie's family like many white working class ones fled Brixton when he was 6 for more suburban whiter climes as waves of immigrants moved in).

Some fun parts here. OK it's the a major film but a slight one - and one which I enjoyed.

SO 4 stars.

Avoid. - Stardust review by CK

Only by watching this as if it were a comedy allows the experience to become, marginally, tolerable.