UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Griff Lees Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

jc-osms Ian Dury's span of popular success in the UK only lasted a few years and I can't say I was over-familiar with either his work (bar the early hit singles and albums) but this film belied my fear that perhaps there wasn't much of a story to tell. In fact, it probably over-compensates by adopting a non-linear narrative approach as well as some arty-farty jump-cuts and tricksy animation sequences to inject a knockabout feel to proceedings. This is again a somewhat contrived and forced contrast to the bathetic scenes of Dury's growing up as a young boy, abandoned by his father, bullied at school by his class-mates and one particular teacher, his adult predilection for treating his womenfolk very badly indeed and finally the difficult relationship with his own son Baxter, who has since become a recognised musician in his own right. I felt the scenes with the two women in his life, his wife and mistress were a bit overwrought and overwritten, their dialogue too forced and you're always anticipating an inspired pearl of wit or wisdom from Dury when real life just doesn't work that way, even with clever bastard word-smiths like him. It's like expecting Shakespeare to curse and moan in rhyming couplets if he was having an argument - my point is we know that Ian Dury had a way with words but not every minute of the day.All that said, the film rattled along and certainly did the man's musical legacy proud. I thought a bit more could have been done to play up the importance of Chaz Jankel and his nifty tune-spinning - certainly Dury was a lot less successful when writing to someone else's melodies. Andy Serkus is great in the Dury role, he looks and talks the part very well, acts his disability imperceptibly and keeps up the characterisation right into the songs, of which many are aired.For some reason the film misses out about the last 15 years of his life and we don't even get to know how he died, although the director may claim that the film was a celebration of his life and won't be the last bio-pic to fast forward past the more mundane parts of an artist's life. For that reason, the first half of the film as he struggles for success is better than the inevitable rock-star excess in the second half, where Dury's persona becomes a bit blurred.All told though, I quite enjoyed it but regret somewhat that the director felt the need to jazz up his subject's life in a way that I'm not sure a no-bullshit guy like Dury would altogether appreciate.

Mike-969-221358 AS a long time fan I cannot believe this disjointed nonsense has been aired. I saw Ian Dury live so many times this makes me weep. Fans please avoid this politically correct load of old buylocks like the plague - he would have. The dateline jumps with no explanation. There is no I mean no connection with events Christ there is simply no way to describe this turkey. I watched it all the way through, as I did his career. I have no idea why -He did not deserve this I was a High Roads fan! This is like a 1940s biopic. Watch it if you don't know anything about him. If you do remember him though, turn off and watch "Only Fools And Horses - at any rate they can make a stab at an East End accent

cottrellpj Lots of good performances here, but a lack of cohesion. I'm an Ian Dury fan (as well as Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Wreckless Eric et al) and I was struck by the lack of historical context. Other than a brief reference to The Sex Pistols, there's no sense of time or place here, no evidence of the seminal Stiffs Live tour that cemented Ian's fame and a lack of recognition to the Blockheads, who were (and are) one of the best bands ever - their funkiness and elasticity were unique. A lot of psychological flashbacks and a last 20 minutes that reminded me of a "Movie of the Week". Nowt about the years leading up to his passing. A newcomer might wonder what all the fuss was about.

dbborroughs I saw this as part of the Tribeca's pay per view component and I really liked it.Life and times of Ian Dury front man for the group the Blockheads. Andy Sirkis is stunning as the man who over came polio and who ended up changing the world of music and there by the world. Its kind of episodic as Dury's life is inter-cut with a stage performance where he's talking about his life.I'm of several minds about the film. I really like Sirkis performance and the music (how could one not). I mean its a well made movie. But there is something about it that didn't click with me. On some level the film seems a bit too conventional. Yes, at times its unconventional, but even so it still feels like its trying to be unconventional in a conventional manner.I'm nitpicking of course since its a solid little film that I wanted to shake me to the core instead of really liking (and I dare you not to be touched during the final moments.) Worth seeing.