Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll is about Ian Dury, lead singer of Ian Dury & The Blockheads, and is the latest musical biopic. I went into the cinema knowing very little about the singer bar a few songs, and I certainly came out considerably enlightened. But was it an enjoyable experience?

First off, the film is not flawless. As charming as Naomie Harris is, she hardly passes for a teenager at the start of the film. The problem is amplified with Bill Milner as Dury’s amazingly ageless son Baxter, playing the character from a young boy to a teenager. Milner is wonderful, and I understand the logic behind not changing the actor in the role, but it did jolt me out of the film. I also found some of the fantasy sequences dull in comparison with the real-life drama, perhaps because the real-life drama was just so well done.

But these problems pale in comparison with what was right with the film. As a lover of British TV and film, this film was delightfully crammed full of actors I loved, giving great performances in small roles. Particular mention has to go to Ray Winstone, seen briefly but memorably in flashback as Dury’s father, and the utterly magnificent Toby Jones as the horrible orderly at Dury’s school. The two women in Dury’s life – his wife and his long-term mistress – are beautifully played by Olivia Williams and Naomie Harris.

I really did know very little about Dury, but by all accounts Andy Serkis’ portrayal of him physically and vocally is remarkably accurate. All I do know is that despite the fact that Dury is often portrayed as a difficult and not particularly pleasant person, Serkis has enough charisma to make him compelling even when he is not particularly likeable, and his recent BAFTA nomination is thoroughly deserved. The onstage performances have an abundance of energy, showing the audience just why Dury was so well regarded.

Even the ‘writing the hit songs’ scenes were well-enough handled, always a good sign in a music biopic. The recurring motif of the film Spartacus, along with the inspiration that this was for Dury’s most infamous and controversial song, is a nice touch. Dury’s relationship with Chaz Jankel is well played between Serkis and Tom Hughes, as with all the other members of the band. His disability, left permanently damaged by polio as a young child, is dealt with well, but thankfully this never feels like an “issues” film.

At its best when dealing with the relationships in Dury’s life, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll is a compelling look at a not always likeable but always interesting musician, with an outstanding central performance from Andy Serkis that is worth the price of admission alone.

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