Rough Sketch
Basquiat misses its scrawling
I don't mean to be dismissive of Basquiat. It's not a bad picture, despite its flaws. But the cumulative effect of the Warhol Three has left me a little cranky, not toward Andy and gang--Godspeed to them--but toward the filmmakers, for their perpetuation of a reverential attitude toward him. All three of the films creep up to the edge of flat-out ridiculing Warhol's approach to art, but none of them has the nerve to do it--not even to the extent that Warhol did himself.
Warhol's body of work amounts to a sly, de facto admission that the emperor had no clothes, but none of Warhol's chroniclers seems willing to make this same admission. They're all afraid of the charge of Philistinism. Off in avant-garde heaven, Valerie, Nico, Basquiat and Andy himself are probably sharing a good laugh right now.
--M. V. Moorhead
Directed by Julian Schnabel; with Jeffrey Wright, David Bowie, Dennie Hooper, Gary Oldman, Claire Forlani, Michael Wincott, Benicio del Toro, Christopher Walken, Willem Dafoe, Courtney Love, Tatum O'Neal, Elina Lowensohn and Parker Posey.
Rated
Now Showing
Find capsule reviews, showtimes & tickets for all films in town.
Join My Voice Nation for free stuff, film info & more!
Now Trending
Movie Trailers
-
Voice Places
Find everything you're looking for in your city
-
Happy Hour App
Find the best happy hour deals in your city
-
Daily Deals
Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%
-
Best Of...
Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city
- Profile
- Newsletters
- Mobile
- Logout
-
Publishing:
ONOFF
