Member review

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll is a film that, had I not already been a huge Ian Dury fan, would have turned me into one. This film is quirky, colourful and entertaining, and I think it's a shame that so few people have seen it. Matt Whitecross directs this picture, with Andy Serkis as the lead role of Ian Dury - both giving star performances. The direction of the film is one of my favourites ever. The flashes from present to past are very effective, the angles and confused movements of the camera to show Dury's strife as a child unique to this film. I also love how there are so many of Dury's songs played in the film: I've seen biopics about John Lennon with no Beatles songs in at all. The music, some of which performed by Serkis, is a real treat to me as a Dury fan. The opening credits too, are sensational. By Peter Blake, a painter who Dury wrote a song about, I feel they introduce the audience to the eccentricity and outrageousness of his life. I also adore Serkis' performance. He manages to mirror Dury's mannerisms perfectly, and captivates as he takes us through the birth of Dury's son, the death of his father, and his relationship with Denise Roudette. I simply love this film and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan or is interested in Ian Dury and the Blockheads. While it is not really a family film, it is one that will stay with the viewer for a long time, for the plot, acting, and elusive direction.