Over the past few years, biopics centering around influential musical artists have been all the rage. There have been several excellent films detailing the struggles and pitfalls musicians go through during their rise to fame. Perhaps one of the most interesting bands who could receive a movie is that of Mötley Crüe and thanks to “The Dirt”, they finally have their story told in a film. Unlike some other recent biopics, “The Dirt” was met with negative reviews but I always keep an open mind because some of my favorite movies have been slammed by professional critics.
The film tells the origins of the band Mötley Crüe primarily through the eyes of band member Nikki Sixx. Sixx was able to free himself from an abusive childhood and reinvent himself through music. Sixx recruits drummer Tommy Lee (though Lee sort of recruits himself) and the pair seek out the musicians who will complete their newly formed band. Mick Mars auditions as the guitarist and the pair immediately recognize he has the musical style they are looking for. Lastly, the trio convene Vince Neil to become their lead vocalist and Mötley Crüe was born. Each member experiences ups and downs but the film mainly focuses on the effect fame had on Nikki Sixx.
I think I should start by stating I am not a fan of Mötley Crüe. I do not hate the group, but I never got into them. I was interested in this biopic regardless and some of my favorite biopics involve figures I am not a fan of. It is hard to ignore the cultural impact Mötley Crüe had on popular culture. They were the bad boys of rock both on and off stage. I was eager to see how this film would approach their rocky and controversial career.
“The Dirt” was based on the novel “The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band” written by Mötley Crüe and Neil Strauss. Unfortunately this movie seems to almost glorify the group’s misbehavior rather than detailing how their actions had a negative effect on their careers and personal lives. The glorification of bad deeds is what separates this movie from films like “Rocketman” or “Bohemian Rhapsody” where a deeper meaning was realized by the musicians. Sometimes seeing men behave badly can be fun to watch, but it also makes for a shallow movie going experience.
The film itself was a bit all over the place. There are elements of the movie that you could tell they spared no expense and felt very cinematic. Then something silly like a wig or set dressing looked very cheap and caused the film to feel like a made for television movie. It makes for a very bizarre viewing experience overall.
Perhaps no element of “The Dirt” varies more than the acting. Most of the cast deliver respectable performances and I would go as far to say that Iwan Rheon delivered a great and memorable performance. This brings me to the subject of Colson Baker aka Machine Gun Kelly as Tommy Lee and my dislike of his performance. Now, I think Baker has some potential as an actor but I just didn’t think he meshed well with the rest of the cast. I don’t think Baker gave the worst performance in the film however, that dishonor befalls Pete Davidson. Davidson largely comes off uncharismatic and unlikable. I haven’t seen his work on “Saturday Night Live” but I very much hope he has more personality on that show.
While I didn’t adore “The Dirt” (and the title certainly lends itself to negative reviews), it wasn’t horrible either and was somewhat of a mixed bag. If you already have Netflix, it certainly isn’t the worst they have to offer and doesn’t cost anything else to watch. I will say that I have a feeling you might enjoy this film better if you adore Mötley Crüe. Sadly, I am not among their fanbase.
Grade: C
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