Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

The curtain opens, the spotlight is in position and just like that the pale faced, charismatic, DIY aficionado himself appears. Ian Dury quickly became an 80's icon for his haphazard performances and inspired use of language. Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll tells the story of this new wave beacon (played by Andy Serkis) through an exploration of his disability which he gained through early polio and the tremulous relationship he had with his two children. Serkis delivers a spine-chilling performance which is due to the fact that he never settles on whether Dury is obnoxious or lovable, difficult or desirable and its through this ever ending flux that his passion and intent effervesces on screen. A sense of restlessness and chaos is never far away with the film reflecting that of Dury's own persona. With snapshots and flashbacks of his distraught upbringing in a hospital for disabled children we are rarely allowed to forget why Dury is the way he is and this jilted style of direction maintains the pace required. Complimentary to this is the somewhat inspired decision to include the animations of Peter Blake, whose bright and vivid depictions of 70's London act as a stark contrast to the the dark and sullied realities Dury's true life.

Ultimately at the heart is a calamitous portrayal of a father and son's relationship in pieces. Dury's own guilt towards how he has brought up Baxter (Played by Ben Milner) is coupled with his inability to overcome this hurdle due to the grievance he has with his own father's abandonment. Perhaps the films only downfall is in the confusingly incoherent portrayal of Baxter. Milner showed great potential in earlier films such as Son of Ranbow where his innocence and charm were highlighted in equal doses yet there was something grating and unbalanced in this, his most recent work. What should have been a portrayal about a son in turmoil over his fathers volatility became an annoyingly whiny performance that jaded a potentially heart breaking plot.

Despite this, the indulgences were plentiful with the biggest and most surprising coming in the form of Serkis's own impressive vocals. The exhaustive passion that is given when we see him perform on stage is electrifying and utterly atmospheric and the fact that they are original vocals performed with The Blockheads themselves only elevates the films authenticity and power. This is matched with the pantomime-esque theatricality as we see Dury himself narrate his own story throughout the film with magic tricks and all. At times he is a pithy, charming and highly intelligent presence when in the next second we are led to despise his frivolous and ultimately selfish lifestyle showing a versatility that striking

At times the film becomes confused as to where it wants to go and how it wants to be defined. It's this dip in consistency which prevents it from becoming a masterpiece. That said, Serkis gives the hauntingly raw performance of his career and can no longer avoid the radar as he defines himself as a true British talent, managing to balance both the fragility and aggression of a man in crisis. It could have been easy to produce a film that looked at Dury through rose tinted glasses, illuminating his iconic status and avoiding all the 'nasty bits' but instead is an unapologetic embrace to a humans faults and flaws.

H xx