Review: Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll

It's always tricky capturing the essence of a well known musician on screen especially for fans of said musician. The actor has to give you an accurate portrayal of the character but at the same time not lapse into impression. Thankfully Andy Serkis manages to do that with his portrayal of 1980s punk legend Ian Dury in this film. Serkis' Dury is both the narrator and subject of the story and to that effect a lot of the original songs are introduced by Dury in the manner of the Emcee from Cabaret. The film's first ten minutes are frightfully frantic and a little disjointed featuring the birth of Dury's son Baxter and several songs its hard for the audience to comprehend but once Ian meets his new love Denise and his new keyboard player Chaz Jankel, things settle down. Although Dury's musical success is touched upon the real focus of the film is that, of how his treatment from others in his childhood reflected on the way he treats the ones he loves. Therefore we are given insight into his life at a home for disabled boys and the nightmareish orderly Baxter. But one thing remains clear that Dury loved his music and those around him even though he couldn't always show it.

In the lead Serkis is absolutely amazing and hopefully this will be the role he'll be known for instead of that of Gollum in The Lord of The Rings films. He performs all the songs himself with help from the original Blockheads to make the numbers as realistic as possible. Naomie Harris also shines as Dury's much younger girlfriend Denise after years of playing scary voddoo giants in Pirates of the Caribbean and unbelievable Jamaican Cops in After the Sunset she finally shows us the actress that was promised in Channel
4's sdaptation of Whtie Teeth. Olivia Williams has a less thankful job popping up every now and then to play Dury's long-suffering and estranged wife. There's also brilliant support throughout from among others Mackenzie Crook, Noel Clarke and Ralph 'Chris Finch from The Office' Inneson as well Toby Jones as Baxter and Ray Winstone cameoing as Dury's father. But it is young Bill Millner who once again shows us why he is the star of the future again playing a young boy unsure of his way in life, this time Ian's son Baxter Dury. The film brilliantly shows his idolisation of his father despite Ian's nature and sometime abandomnet of Baxter.

As well a being well-crafted the film is ultimately entertaining shocking scenes are interspersed with laugh-out-loud moments. While the hits just keep on coming from the titular track and other famous hits such as Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick and Reasons to be Cheerful to less well known numbers you will be toe-tapping and humming long after you leave the cinema. This had me gripped from beginning to end and so far has to be my early contender for film of the year.