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Welcome to "Cinema Herald". My aim is to bring movie reviews to a somewhat different level. I don't know about you guys but I'm sick and tired of Critics who dissect a movie to bits. Who cares about all that deep stuff, sometimes you just want to know if you'll be entertained or not. Is it worth me spending $10? Now don't get me wrong, sometimes when we watch a movie, it does require us to put on our thinking caps and I'll do that from time to time depending on the film I review but for the most part, I just want to know if I'm going to have a laugh or a cry or even crap my pants - in other words, will it take my mind off the fact that I'm broke and my rent is due for a few hours? Movies are a public service...they are to help us escape for a few hours and forget that we're overworked and under paid.

DVD Vault: Basquiat (1996)

August 13th 2010 05:42
Category: Drama, What to Rent?
Looking at interview footage of the late, Jean-Michel Basquiat you can't help but notice his inability to express himself. He sincerely tries to talk and rationalize his art but quite often it comes out as a series of stumbles and stammers with barely a coherent sentence being formulated - and watching Basquiat, an biographical account of his life, directed by his close friend, Julian Schnabel, you begin to understand why. It's not that he was shy, he was bold enough to approach Andy Warhol in a posh restaurant and sell him hand-made post cards of his work, it's just that he was only capable of expressing himself through his art. If art were a spoken language he would have been the most eloquent of orators on the subject.

Basquiat tells the story of his short life and fast rise to
fame in the Art world. He is the first artist of African American descent to gain International recognition for his postmodernist/neo expressionists works. The movie starts and ends with a prophetic fairy tale. Young Basquiat is with his mother who takes him to an art exhibit featuring Picasso. Moved by the painting, she looks at her son and sees a vision of a shining crown displayed on his head. It's hard to believe that such a vision would come to fruition when we next see him years later, homeless, sleeping under the shelter of a cardboard box.

Wright with Benecio Del Toro as Benny
It started with graffiti - he signed off on all his poetic and sarcastic sayings as "Samo" in the art district of SoHo. He drifts around the village with old friend, Benny Dalmau (Benicio Del Toro), sometimes taking an odd job as an assistant to an electrician and aspiring artist (Willem Dafoe) whilst playing in a band at a few underground clubs and he even manages to fall in love with Gina Cardinale (Clair Forlani). In the real world he is completely passive, so much so that sometimes he seems deliberately evasive but you know that there's something deep going on behind his eyes. I keep imaging that if we were to see the world from his POV, we'd see animations of painting in progress, brush strokes of vivid colors and bold lines with sayings in everything he sees or touches. His canvases are anything within reach, a wooden table, rubber tires, walls, etc., there was even a melee over a drawing he did at a restaurant using plum sauce! Actor Jeffrey Wright, who in my opinion is one of the most underrated actors out there is sensationally mesmerizing as Basquiat, I found it extremely difficult to take my eyes off him for one moment for fear that I might miss something...anything.

Basquiat's quick rise to fame doesn't come until a chance
Bowie, Oldman, and Hopper
meeting at a party when he happens upon art dealer, Rene Picard (Michael Wincott) and the rest is Art history. Within a few short months Basquiat goes from living in a cardboard box to instant success with his own opening featuring his legendary works of bold eye-catching displays. He soon develops a close bond with Andy Warhol (David Bowie) whom he met earlier and whom eventually becomes his mentor. To everyone else he is an enigma but both he and Andy are able to communicate on an entirely different level. But soon,
Forlani and Wincott with Wright
as with all "legends" or so it seems, drugs also become a part of his world - something that he can never give up. His addictions were the fuel for his creations and while the art world develops a feeding frenzy for his work, he withdraws into himself and self-destructs, the final blow comes when he learns of Andy Warhol's death, which has a devastating effect on him. He sinks even lower into depression, one step away from being homeless again until he dies of a heroin overdose.

This is Julian Schnabel's final eulogy to his friend and it couldn't have been a better send-off without the amazing support of the rest of the cast, Gary Oldman, Parker Posey, Benecio Del Toro, Dennis Hopper, Michael Wincott, Claire Forlani and last but not least, David Bowie. Bowie as Andie Warhol is absolute perfection. But still the one to watch is Jeffrey Wright, I simply adore his work and look forward to anything he's in.

This is a movie that's definitely worth watching and I highly recommend it.


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4 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by David O'Connell

August 13th 2010 07:19


Screen Fanatic
I've never actually seen this Deni but I've become a real fan of Jeffrey Wright in recent years (especially in Broken Flowers). He's a bit of a chameleon and seems to make an effortless transition from the mainstream to indie films. I've always wanted to check out this first notable performance of his.

Comment by ShaunK

August 13th 2010 07:40


Screen Adventure
This looks really interesting Deni - I'll have to check it out. Nice one

Comment by Deni

August 13th 2010 07:51


Abstract Magick
Cinema Herald
David - Jeffrey Wright is of my favorite actors for the same reasons you mentioned. He is a chameleon who transitions with ease. I loved him in Broken Flowers!

Shaun - I think you'll enjoy this movie, I hope. It's one of my favorite indies.


Comment by JohnDoe

August 14th 2010 17:44


Film & TV on DVD
I really liked this one too when I saw it in cinemas. It's been awhile, may have to watch it again soon.

Benicio, Wincott, DeFoe and Bowie own there scenes.

Jeffrey Wright is always good value too. Mmmm and Clair is tasty

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