Disclaimer: Yes, I watched this movie. It's not just a reaction to the trailer.
Firstly, Bowie didn't want any biopics made. We had the (rather well-done) film Velvet Goldmine come along which was originally supposed to be a bit of a biopic, which David shut right down. Now that he's gone and his name has even more solid profitability, the studios have decided to take a dive and make their own sub-par attempt to showcase the talent and person that was David Bowie. Unfortunately, due to the fact that he was a public figure, there's nothing the family can legally do about this film to my knowledge (it comes down to a freedom of speech thing). It's a real shame because the person in this movie looks, talks and acts nothing like David Bowie really did.
This David Bowie is completely out to lunch, seeking only to shock and disturb his audiences. There's no validity or genuine intent behind anything he does in this film. He gives bogus interviews that he completely throws off the deep end with the kind of stupid things even stoners wouldn't think about when they're high. David is so preoccupied with fame, so desperate for the world to know who he is, that he'll go to any length to do things (that never happened) to achieve it.
And some people are claiming this movie is a "rise" of Ziggy Stardust kind of story. No it's not. It treats The Man Who Sold the World (Bowie's third album) as though it's the only full-length album he's done, and then it jumps right to Ziggy. We don't get any of the story behind the self-titled album (although it references The Laughing Gnome a bit throughout), Space Oddity (despite a mention of it being a single and a very brief clip from a video version in the beginning). We don't get any mention of Hunky Dory, which came after Man Who Sold the World, and we go right to Ziggy Stardust.
And with Ziggy Stardust, there's really no development, no sense of accomplishment, no payoff of hard work. He goes from a bumbling idiot/relative nobody to somebody who fills an auditorium with his concerts, right away. The time jump to the Ziggy era is where all the character development is hidden, and this film chooses to completely ignore it.
And, if you're not baffled enough by how horrible this movie is, we get the final scene: Bowie playing a song (that he didn't write, remember) in front of a crowd. We get the full song, full performance. Then, he thanks the audience and...
That's it. No reaction to Ziggy. A big deal was made about the fact that he wore dresses, but the movie never once raises an issue with him blending various culturally significant pieces of clothing together.
An absolute pathetic attempt at a biopic, and a boring movie to begin with. No amount of cuts to this film would make it easier to sit through, and the fact that it was able to pass through all stages of revision and keep that green light status throughout production just goes to show how little these people mean to the Hollywood system. Now that he's dead and can't say anything publicly against it, they're milking the David Bowie name for every penny they can get out of it. No effort was put into this film; it's a fairy tale that blatantly disregards the successful career of a man who dared to be crazy enough to believe that he could achieve his dreams. I love David Bowie. He's my hero. THIS is not David Bowie.
Final note, and a big red flag for this film: one of the first things you see on-screen is a note: "What follows is (mostly) fiction." Gotta stay covered, I guess. There's no care or love for Bowie in this film, that's the only real protection they have for this piece of junk.
PLEASE don't financially support these people. Don't watch it at all if you can help it.
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