“With
the rider that the story should
not be taken too seriously, the years
before one of the greatest stars in
music history — David Bowie — became
famous are reconstructed as he strives
to recreate the success of his early
recording and also to break onto the
American music scene in the tantalising
film Stardust...”
NOT TO BE CONFUSED with the film of the same name starring David Essex, Stardust
follows highly talented but obsessive and would-be famous singer David Jones,
in his new guise in the early 1970s as David Bowie (sympathetically and enthusiastically
played by talented actor and musician Johnny Flynn: Emma; Beast).
Bowie's manager Tony Defries (Julian Richings) works hard to get his potential
star's name better known after his early success with The Man Who Sold The
World and two years after Space Oddity with an album that is considered
too dark and too weird.
“Johnny
Flynn’s
enthusiasm for his
character role,
a great support cast
and fine storytelling
make the mesmerising
Stardust sparkle
with wit
and magnetism...”
It
seems as if the world did not want things that made them flex their imagination.
Bowie's friend Marc Bolan (James Cade) is heading successful act T-Rex and David
is becoming disheartened. He is also struggling with accepting that his much-loved
brother Terry (a poignant performance from Derek Moran) is now in a psychiatric
hospital.
David Bowie's wife Angie (Jena Malone) is expecting their first child and is
pushing David to the limit, insistent that his talent should be recognised.
She sees them as a team.
Tony has been unsuccessfully trying to convince the team at Mercury Records
in the United States of America to consider his client for a concert tour; David
is offered a glimmer of hope when Tony tells him that there is one publicist
at the US record label who has faith in him: Ron Oberman.
With that hook, 24-year-old David Bowie sets off to meet Oberman (Marc Maron)
in 1971 to begin his road trip — but he is in for an unwelcome shock.
First he has to get past two uncompromising immigration officers (Dylan Roberts
and Oliver Becker), who are keen to find out his sexual orientation and whether
he intends to perform in public illegally.
He is finally allowed to enter the United States on a visitor's visa instead
of the work visa he thought he had and he is faced with the realisation that
he will be restricted to appearing only at private functions.
Reeling from a string of unwise behaviour and comments instead of attempting
to charm a world that is not quite ready for him, David goes about everything
in his own way. He fails to listen to the advice of Ron Oberman —
the one man in America who passionately believes, at this point, that David
will be a great star.
Ron insists that it takes just one believer to change the world and has lined
up a number of private appearances for David but sadly he goes more or less
unnoticed. Despite Ron's sage advice, David refuses to hold back on his language
or his thoughts and fails to impress, eventually being ejected from a mid-West
radio station.
Luckily, despite David's lack of respect and his determination to do things
in his own way, Ron does not lose faith in the singer's ability. He is convinced
he can get him onto the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and presses on regardless.
However, pushed to the limit, Ron finally loses his temper when David throws
some important personal papers out of his car and misbehaves when being interviewed
by some very important people in the music industry who could potentially help
him.
David is under pressure from Angie to keep in touch and haunted by his brother's
psychotic episodes. He envies Ron as the publicist knows exactly who he is.
Then be someone else, Ron tells him echoing David's brother Terry's new
treatment where he is encouraged to pretend to be someone else.
But who is the young man behind the many faces? In 1972 at The Friars in Aylesbury,
UK, with his hair dyed red and heavy make-up, David Bowie (aka Ziggy Stardust)
performs to rapturous applause with RCA heavyweights in the audience, alongside
Ron and Marc Bolan. Ron's belief in David is at last confirmed as Bowie is at
his dazzling best.
Absolutely riveting but sometimes with uneasy watching as drugs and mental issues
take their part. Stardust is fantastic, aided by the special awareness
of Johnny Flynn (more of him, please!). Taking the music industry by storm,
David Bowie was, is and will remain one of music's treasured assets. Off to
a shaky start and with an America just not ready for a man wearing a dress and
women's shoes, David Bowie ultimately cooked up a storm and Johnny Flynn is
awe-inspiring in the title role.
Stardust captures the moments that inspired the creation of Bowie's first and
most memorable alter-ego Ziggy Stardust and highlights the turning point that
cemented his career as one of the world's greatest cultural icons.
Johnny Flynn's enthusiasm for his character role, a great support cast and fine
storytelling make the mesmerising Stardust sparkle with wit and magnetism.
Not surprisingly, Johnny has been awarded the Best Actor Award at the 2020 Raindance
Film Festival for his impressive performance as Bowie.
Inspired by actual events, Stardust does not claim to be factually accurate.
Certain characters and the central plot contain fictional elements for dramatic
purposes.
Prepare to view the weird and wonderful world of David Bowie, aka Ziggy Stardust.
Commencing Countdown…
Stardust also features: Aaron Poole as Mick Ronson; Monica Parker as
Mrs Oberman; Ryan Blakely as Tom Classon; Gord Rand as Michel Oberman; Paulino
Nunes as Tom Ayers; Richard Clarkin as (Mickelson); Anthony Flanagan as Dr Reynolds;
Brendan J Rowland as Tony Visconti; and Livia Carruthers and Geoffrey McGivern
as Mr and Mrs Jones.
Music is by Ann Nitkin; Score Performed by Johnny Flynn, Adam Double, Nikolaj
Bierre, Anne Nitkin, Luciana Victor, Anna Lena Bruland; Cinematography by Nick
Knowlands, BSC; Costume Design is by Julia Patkos; Written by Christopher Bell
and Gabriel Range; Johnny Flynn, Adam Double, Galya Bisengalieva and Robert
Ames; Executive Producers: Fabien Westerhoff, Christopher Figg and Robert Whitehouse;
Produced by Paul Van Carter, Nick Taussia and Matt Code; and Directed by Gabriel
Range.
* The highly-anticipated film Stardust
is released by Vertigo Releasing at UK cinemas and on Digital Platforms on 15
January 2021.
"Johnny Flynn's enthusiasm for his character role, a great support cast and
fine storytelling make the mesmerising Stardust sparkle with wit and
magnetism" ****— Maggie Woods, MotorBar
"A remarkably confident, smart and resilient film with the sense of soul that
its fascinating subject deserves" ****—The Times
Tracklist: What Kind of Fool Am I | Don't Be Looking In My Mind | Shake A
Hand | Deep Depression | I Wish You Would | A Face That Hasn't Sold Out | Mountain
Spines | Good Ol' Jane | New Jersey | The Running Man | Slumberland Blues |
Jammin' The Blues | Symphony No 9 in D Minor | The Clown of the Crown | So Goes
My Dream | Cadillac | Don't Bring Me Down | Goodnight Surprise | Rural Route
One | Amsterdam My Death.
“With
the rider that the story should