foolforlove25 Reviews

Marianne Faithfull: Dreaming My Dreams (2000 Video)

Great Intro To Ms. Faithful

[10/10 · 26 December 2006]

A nice rundown of Marianne's unique (to say the least!) life: her journey to stardom, her fall into addiction, and her long trek out of the muck, only to re-invent herself as a raspy voiced punk chanteuse. There's plenty of entertaining stuff here, and lots of Rolling Stones dirt (she was Mick's girlfriend) for all you baby boomers. As a bonus, there's a live set she did for Session at West 54th, which gives a good overview of some of her best songs.

Overall- this is an excellent introduction to the complex Ms. Faithful, and provides a wealth of knowledge (and Marianne's dryly humorous anecdotes) for fans and covers plenty of ground her autobiography does not.

Highly Recommended!

Blazing Away (1990 Video)

Poor Editing/Bravura Performance

[9/10 · 26 December 2006]

First of all, let me say this...the concert is fantastic. It contains the best recorded performances of Marianne's I have ever heard, and at theend, the audience's seemingly endless ovation is justly deserved by the lovely Faithful. Sporting a very "Bowie" hairdo, black slacks and an over-sized white man's shirt (which contrasts beautifully with her red gloves and lipstick), Faithful is striking, dramatic, and in completecontrol of her audience. The church she performs in provides a very unique atmosphere that really adds to the performance, and she's assembled a crack team of musicians with some real muscle that flesh out some of her more dated 80's songs and give them a new lease on life, while re-imagining some of her "Broken English" classics.

HOWEVER- there is a catch. The editing is just...not very good. I can't fault the camera angles or lighting- it's the post-production that did the evil deed. Loads of black and white insert shots, pointless cuts to shots of Marianne walking around London and a forest, and other horrid pseudo-arsty post techniques haven't aged well (if they came off well in the first place) and tend to pull you out of the concert a bit. I must admit though, that the between-song clips of interviews with her provide some nice insight on her life and relationship with her music.

Visual experimentation aside, this is a killer set from the great Ms. Faithful. Highlights include a poisonous, desperate "Sister Morphine", a fierce "Working Class Hero", and a kick down the door and drag the b*tch out by her hair run through "Why'd Ya Do It?", maybe even more fiery than the original. And her version of "Times Square" is a real achievement- the best delivery I've heard of that song, and possibly the best live performance I've heard by Marianne. It's damn near impossible to track down anymore, but if you can find it, don't miss out on a chance to hear Marianne at her best, but prepare yourself for a few groan-worthy artsy-fartsy shots.

Sid and Nancy (1986)

Love Kills

[10/10 · 8 February 2006]

This movie is not historically accurate. Let's get that out of the way right off the bat. This is not about the history of the Sex Pistols. Details don't matter, this movie is about feeling. Two misguided, deluded outcasts who are so completely, desperately in love, that they won't leave each other, even though they are probably the worst people in the world for each other. They spiral into heroin addiction, (which is NOT glamorized. Some of the scenes with them bunkered down in the Chelsea Hotel are downright disgusting) and one of them is killed, although no one knows how exactly how. Punks are usually the unsentimental type, so they tend to give this film the two-finger salute. Well, screw them. It is a beautiful film, which speaks more honestly about love and addiction than any Oscar-grabbing shite that I can find in the New Release section. Gary Oldman and and Chole Webb are excellent, inhabiting their characters right down to marrow. The era is evoked wonderfully, and the film is littered with gorgeous, iconic images, the best of which being Sid and Nancy kissing in an alleyway while garbage rains down on them from above like rice at a wedding. Also, most people ignore how FUNNY this movie is, despite it's heartbreaking subject matter. This is an enjoyable movie, not a punishment, or a slog through the mud. After seeing this movie, a friend of mine was so moved, she packed up everything she had and moved to London, where she lived on the streets for a year, trying to form a punk band. I'd recommend this movie to anyone, not just punks or Sex Pistols fans. It's appeal is much more universal than that. To me, this movie exemplifies my idea of true love. It isn't always pretty. It can drag you over glass, lead you to your grave, debase, humiliate, and destroy you. But it's a connection so strong that you can't deny it. And it's so beautiful that you really don't care if it kills you.