Hmmm...for once the synopsis does not show the movies complete plot

Velvet Goldmine was a critical flop in 1998, when it first came out, but I never heard of it until now. I now understand why reviewers were so harsh on this movie, but I am going to look at it from modern viewpoint and an eye as a film critic.

I use LGBT in this description, because it is not just about two gay guys, a lesbian couple, or something that is sexually monotoned. It has a lot of meaning for the entire sexual spectrum.

Brian Salde or Maxwell Demon (John Rhys Meyers) is one of the most complex biesexual characters that I have ever viewed; through his life, I ccan understand a certain longing from birth to achieve acknowledgement. The reporter (Holy Shit! That was Christian Bale pre-American Psycho and Batman, he has talent) trying to uncover his story is equally interesting and complex; he definitely could hold a great classic in the future (beyond just the Dark Knight). Also, as a gay character slowly uncovering his sexuality through the Pop Star Brian Slade, I find this relationship intensely provocative.

Also, Ewan McGregor as Kurt Wild was hot, sexy, and so damned perfect. He is a different kind of gay performance and character that you don't find in non-gay porn films. He exudes sexuality and the reason for Rock musics existence. At the end, when you see him again, you see a different more reserved man. I will get back to this change between him and Brian slade later.

The story reads like a rock version of "Citizen Kane", I get their motivation and their original concept (No, it is not new or revolutionary, but it is a beautiful re-interpretation of a classic).

This is not a story I can review in a straight line of logic, since it begins at the end of Brian Slade's career, then uses the flashback as told by others to recount the story, i.e. "Citizen Kane" story line or a classic Film Noir. At the beginning, you see Brian destroy his career by faking his own death, but why did he do it? What happened to him? Only one of those questions were answered in this movie, but I think that's where the film needed to answer the question.

Brian Slade and Curt Wild were both guys trying to transform the world and break boundaries with their music. They wanted to make a world that creativity can be made into reality, dreams can live, and love is free. However, they overreached. While Kurt Wild could make peace with his life as a gay man and be proud of what has come since; Brian Slade could not be satisfied, leading to his self destruction.

There's a lot of layers of meaning in this movie, but what does it all add up to?

Alas, unlike the rock music that inspired it, it has no meaning in itself. The movie raises some good points about legends and their influence on society. The movie developed good characters with complex desires and yearnings for more in life.Christian Bale's side character's journey to find Brian Slade is a pseudo-quest to seek his own sexual fantasy (I feel the same way for a younger Matt Damon ) Yet, what does he really find behind all of these stories surrounding his teenage pop idol, nothing except more questions.

However, Brian Slade is no Charles Foster Kane, there is no "Rosebud" scene or a conclusion to his story. What is missing in this movie is "joining" pieces of cinematic masterpieces. It is true that modern movies don't require connections to be considered great, like "Crash" or "Momento", but you can't just leave audiences hanging there at the end or hanging our emotions around trying to figure a character through purely introspection and soul searching.

The problem in this movie is that it leaves too many open holes to interpretation, some I can understand through context, and others I am merely inferring based on my views. Is that a work of a master film maker? Perhaps, but a story with too much of everything leaves you with nothing except a lot to ponder.

This is not a traditional gay film, nor is it traditional Hollywood. It is something different, but utilizes something old fashioned.

I will give this a rating of 7.5 out of 10, good movie for its thought provoking material, actors, and complex plots. However, it's weakness is in the emotions that remain disjointed between moments of flashbacks, an uneventful ending, and a story of self-discovery that is never fulfilled.

That's it for my review of UK movies

Anyone want me to do a French, German, or Italian gay or LGBT film? I prefer Italians for humor, Germans for seriousness, and French for passion? (I might head back to South America and rate Undertow, a really good gay movie if you want to try it)