DIRECTOR: Brett Morgen
CAST: David Bowie
RUNNING TIME: 140 mins
CERTIFICATE: 15
BASICALLY…: A cinematic odyssey through the life and music of David Bowie…
NOW FOR THE REVIEW…
“Ahead of his time” doesn’t even begin to describe the legacy of David Bowie, the world-famous musician and artist whose impact on the face of popular culture, even beyond his passing in 2016, was as permanent as a Sharpie to a pad of paper. It is this unfathomable legacy that filmmaker Brett Morgen celebrates in his uncontemporary non-fiction piece Moonage Daydream, which is less of a documentary (though it certainly carries particular traits) and much more of a visceral, out-of-body experience that attempts to dive straight into the mind of this one-in-a-million performer.
The result is something that’s undeniably transcendent, not to mention trippy as hell (to a point where you almost wish that you were high whilst watching it), but anyone expecting something a bit more straightforward, especially those who might not know much about Bowie before going in, might find themselves out of luck – but then again, were he still around today, the man himself wouldn’t want it any other way.
The film is comprised of old footage, both public and rare, featuring David Bowie at multiple stages in his life and career, from his earlier Ziggy Stardust days to his later dabbling in artistic expression, which included canvas painting, performance art, film roles, and his own experimental stab at filmmaking. All the while, Bowie “narrates” – with the words being spliced from multiple interviews – as Morgen (also the film’s editor) visualises a colourful collage of abstract, undeniably cosmos-themed imagery, while the singer’s extensive catalogue of hits plays non-stop on the soundtrack, either as they were recorded or through a collection of live performances.
Having that iconic music is a real gain for Morgen’s film, because unlike previous attempts to bring Bowie to the big screen (most recently with the underwhelming Stardust, starring Johnny Flynn as a pre-fame Bowie), Moonage Daydream actually authorises the use of his songs to tell this “story” – used in the loosest of terms, since narrative is practically non-existent – of a unique individual who could not be understood without them. Needless to say, Bowie had a great discography to his name, and most of the ones you love and adore are bound to show up at some point here too (from “Life on Mars?” to “Let’s Dance”), but Morgen’s use of them is also symbolic, for they intriguingly form a bridge for the audience to understand, and even identify with, someone whose own creative ambitions were quite astronomical. With the music always on hand, the filmmaker establishes a spiritual connection between the artist and the viewer instead of getting into trivial anecdotes about his life (as such, the movie glosses over notable aspects that some people might expect to be covered in a film about Bowie’s life, including his marriage to Angie Bowie).
The movie is, in its own way, a triumph of archival editing as well as the closest we’ll probably ever get to knowing exactly who David Bowie was, thanks to Morgen’s ponderous, and no less psychedelic, approach to both his subject and his craft. However, it does have the potential to alienate some viewers who are perhaps expecting something a bit more straightforward, and might be blindsided by the incessant surreal nature of the piece, complete with flashing lights that are so constant that it’s almost surprising that there is no epilepsy warning before this film. It can be confounding, even to those who were and still are massive fans of the performer, but the experience is no less invigorating, and worth seeing if you’re still curious to be taken on a wild and almost hypnotic journey through the many strange times of this individual.
Whether or not you’ve been a Bowie fan from the moment you first heard his warbling lyrics, Moonage Daydream is a fascinating cinematic experience that is unlike most things you’ll probably see this year – but at the same time, much like the dearly departed David Bowie himself, don’t expect anything that’s in any way shape or form ordinary.
SO, TO SUM UP…
Moonage Daydream is a fascinatingly put-together film about the late, great David Bowie, which uses archive footage and the singer’s music to allow the audience to understand his eccentric mindset, but those expecting something more straightforward might find themselves alienated.
