Morgen essentially discards the arguably career-best material that Bowie put out in the 2000s, including the incredible “Heathen” album and the elegiac record “Blackstar,” released mere days before Bowie’s death. Indeed, whether intentionally or not, the film very quickly creates the impression that its style is as important as its subject matter.

If you're looking for the standard issue biopic, like the director Brett Morgen's earlier documentary, 2012's Stones biopic, Crossfire Hurricane, then Morgen's take on Bowie might not be for you. While Morgen’s kaleidoscopic editing seems a promising approach at the start, his utilization of the same bag of tricks again and again becomes less illuminating and rather monotonous by the time the film limps to the finish line. This makes sense, considering the general public wasn’t interested in Bowie until the release of Ziggy Stardust and subsequent tour. And it's also fair to say its message of living every day as it comes as espoused by Bowie repeatedly throughout is one of a somewhat facile nature.Independently owned and operated publications like Slant have been hit hard in recent years, but we’re committed to keeping our content free and accessible—meaning no paywalls or fees. Additionally, the Criterion disc is loaded w/extras that the orig dvd release (not Criterion) didn't have. Moonage Daydream illuminates the life and genius of David Bowie, one of the most prolific and influential artists of our time. Pop Culture Beast is your source for news, reviews, opinion, and commentary from a variety of perspectives from across the country.

Even properly preserved material -- like the one that is used during the Los Angeles and Berlin segments looks wonderful in 4K and 1080p.For one, Morgen acknowledges the history of mental illness in his family that affected his beloved brother Terry, and how it may have influenced some of his art. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. And while the Montage of Heck director may appear to be in his thrall at times, the final product is one that will provide rich emotional resonance to fans - but one which may prove chilly to those who only have a fleeting and cursory knowledge of David Bowie. As an attempt to convey the appeal and experience of Bowie’s era, its length works against it; what seems exciting and fresh at the beginning becomes repetitive and dull by the time its two-hour-and-fourteen-minute running time concludes. It’s not quite a documentary; the film makes no attempt to educate or inform, eschewing traditional non-fiction filmmaking techniques like contextualizing interviews and informative chyrons.

I viewed some sections of the film with the Dolby Atmos track and some sections of it with the LPCM 2.These animated bits infuse the documentary with a surreal, fantastical air, befitting an artist who often gave off a humanoid vibe even at his most soulful.