Pros: “Dirt” takes the time to illustrate the stories of all four band members; concert episodes; atmosphere of an endless party Cons: little time devoted to creating songs; The images of the musicians were embellished for the better “The Dirt” / The Dirt
Genre drama, biography
Directed by Jeff Tremaine
Cast: Douglas Booth (Nikki Sixx), Iwan Rheon (Mick Mars), Daniel Webber (Vince Neil), Richard Colson Baker (Tommy Lee), Tony Cavalero (Ozzy Osbourne), David Costabile (Doc McGee), Pete Davidson (Tom Zutot) ) and etc.
Компании 10th Street Entertainment, LBI Entertainment, Netflix
Year of release 2019
IMDB website
The life story of the four members of the American band Mötley Crüe was published for the first time in print. In 2001, a book was published called The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band, written by journalist Neil Strauss (who previously worked on a publication about the life of Marilyn Manson). Neil spent time with each of the musicians and, based on memories, helped Mötley Crüe release a collective autobiography.
MTV producers liked the rebellious antics described in the book so much that the channel, together with Paramount Pictures, acquired the rights to film them. A biopic about Mötley Crüe could have been released about 10 years ago, but filming never began due to disagreements with the group.
During the time the project was frozen, the music industry changed, as did the demand for Mötley Crüe’s work. The production of the film was completely forgotten, when suddenly in 2017 Netflix showed interest in it by purchasing the copyright. This is how the film adaptation of the memoirs of Vince Neil (the frontman of the group was portrayed by actor Daniel Webber), Nikki Sixx (played by Douglas Booth in the film), Mick Mars (played by Iwan Rheon, known for his role in “Game of Thrones”) and Tommy Lee (the rocker was portrayed by the rapper) appeared Richard Colson Baker, performing under the pseudonym Machine Gun Kelly).
The film “Mud” spans the 70s, 80s and 90s. The events of this period are accompanied by voice-over comments from the group members performed by actors. Sometimes they look directly into the camera, addressing the viewer and talking about what is happening. The plot of the film occurs when guitarist Nikki Sixx decides to put together a new group that will be different from other groups. Nikki finds a talkative drummer, a charismatic frontman and an aggressive lead guitarist. Quite quickly a representative of the record label contacts them, and the musicians immediately have a manager. Glam rockers easily join the concert life, faithfully following the motto sex drugs and rock’n’roll.
From the first minutes, the film openly states that the musicians of Mötley Crüe indulged in all serious things without regrets. Moreover, the picture gives a touch of humor to the tomfoolery and outrages committed by them. Like, whoever didn’t trash a hotel in a hotel room wasn’t a rock star. It’s worth considering here that all four members of Mötley Crüe acted as producers of “Dirt” and, obviously, tried to immortalize themselves in those episodes that seemed cool enough to them. The remaining moments are simply hushed up or presented in a sentimental light. For example, in the film, drummer Tommy Lee beats his fiancee to defend his mother’s honor, and lead singer Vince Neil bitterly regrets the accident in which his friend died. “Dirt” is discreetly silent about the fact that Tommy and Vince got into other unpleasant stories involving causing physical harm to people.
The atmosphere of carefree that the musicians want to surround themselves with is strongly supported by director Jeff Tremaine (known for his work on the show Jackass). It’s as if he continues to film a reality show about pranks and dangerous stunts, only this time it’s not guys on skateboards, but musicians in heels. When the fun comes to an end, which happens in the second half of the film, “Mud” suddenly takes on elements of drama. At these moments, the creators of the film pick up a wave of sadness and decide to indulge in sentiment, persistently inculcating the idea of family, which is the group for the musicians. A good trick to pity the viewer, but very false, given the specifics of the characters.
In some scenes, “Dirt” is reminiscent of “Bohemian Rhapsody”: in the frame, the audience is waiting for the inevitable reconciliation and harmony of joint performances after the difficulties passed through. “Bohemian Rhapsody” still wins the battle of biopics – even though the film about Queen was spoiled by naive dialogues, but the greatness of the music and its creators was felt in it. In addition, it came out earlier and brought out full houses, which is unlikely to have been repeated by “Dirt” – for this film, the release on the streaming service was a salvation from failure at the box office.
Perhaps the film adaptation of the memoirs of the members of Mötley Crüe should have been released years earlier. Then it wouldn’t be compared to anything, and the antics of the musicians could amuse someone. Now that the band’s scandals are remembered more than their songs, it’s hard to believe the on-screen story. Even if Ozzy Osbourne appears in it for greater persuasiveness (although, believe me, this is the moment you want to forget as soon as possible).
Conclusion:
“Dirt” shows what happens before and after rock stars perform. Fans of behind-the-scenes stories will love the film, but they’ve probably already seen something similar, albeit with less bacchanalia.
