This film is quite excellent. Andy Serkis is becomes Ian Dury after about thirty seconds, you sympathise, you understand, you stop trying to falsely construct a classical characterisation and instead turly learn how to know someone; watch what they do.
What we really loved about this film is that it doesn't just present the facts; interesting as they are. It really does something. Peter Blake of Sergeant Pepper's etc fame set the titles, and his primary coloured influences steak across a film that gives us frames of mind and the jutting realities of experience rather than documentary evidence. We loved the slight air of silliness surrounding the film; it wonderfully echoed Dury's life and his loves. He is, as we are often reminded, a bit of a cunt, but the film remains a love letter to a man who was, whatever else, magnificent.
Naomie Harris is simply ace as Denise, the side characters (except from the, sorry, always awful Mackenzie Crook) play their parts with gusto and don't let the action slow. Fun and games throughout, a wurlitzer of colours and shapes, great images (especially the gig scenes, then the silences, then the returning bursts). The pathos that always lurks underneath can maybe a little overemphasised in moments, but that is soon pictured and we have the chance to see real people do real things, living real lifes.
A terrific film, that even those not previously interested in Dury's music (i.e. us) will enjoy as an evocation of the human spirit of rapture.
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