Musician biopics have become incredibly popular recently, with films likeBohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, Elvis, Straight Outta Compton,andJudyall reaching box office success and major accolades during awards season. It’s unsurprising that audiences are interested in seeing their favorite performers honored with a big screen feature film about their life; not only do they get to learn more about the artist’s origins, but they can listen to some of their most iconic songs. However, some musician biopics have been better received than others, andNetflix’s Motley Crue biopicThe Dirtwas not the type ofBohemian Rhapsodylevel success that they might have imagined.
Based on the real band’s memoir about their experiences,The Dirtexamines the formation of the band and how Nikki Sixx (Douglas Booth), Mick Mars (Iwan Rheon), Tommy Lee (Machine Gun Kelly), and Vince Neil (Daniel Webber) came together. Motley Crue has never been a stranger to controversy, and the film delves deep into all the debauchery that they were up to during the peak of their career in the 1970s.
The Dirtis a very odd film; there’s a plasticity to it that comes due to the fourth-wall breaking, but it also isn’t afraid to show the real bandmates at their most vulnerable. While certainly no masterpiece on the level ofWalk the LineorAmadeus,The Dirtis just so bonkers that it deserves more attention.
The Baffling True Story
The film’s tonal shifts and regressive depiction of women characters is primarily what many critics detested aboutThe Dirt;Varietysaid that the film had “zero atmosphere, overly blunt lighting, and a threadbare post-psychological telegraphed quality that gives you nothing to read between the lines.” Similarly,Rolling Stonesaid that “this is rock bad-boy lore as a rocking bore, an endless parade of recreated afterparty ecstasy and emptiness.”
While critics are certainly entitled to their opinion, and it’s not unreasonable to take issue with the film’s morality, many of the most shocking events actually happened. The film was adapted from the bookThe Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band, a memoir written collaboratively by the four bandmates, who were also involved creatively on the film. Some may take issue with the facts, but it would have been more egregious to ignore them entirely.
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Strange Narrative Decisions
Jackassfilmmaker Jeff Tremaine directedThe Dirt, in one of the rare instances where he was actually telling a true story. However,The Dirthas so much comedic wackiness that it basically feels like aJackasssequel. This is epitomized during a scene where Motley Crue meets Ozzy Ozzbourne, who proceeds to snort up live ants by the side of a pool. The film includes such jaw-dropping moments as the band throwing a television out of a window for their own amusement and trying to corrupt the behavior of the Elektra Records agent Tom Zutaut, who is played by Pete Davidson in a very amusing cameo appearance where he retains his singularly awkward energy.
Tremaine also makes a somewhat odd decision to include several fourth-wall breaking scenes, in what is obviously an attempt to replicate the cinematicstyle of Martin Scorsese. Similar to Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) inThe Wolf of Wall Streetor Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) inGoodfellas, the characters speak directly to the audience, and in some instances reveal that what is going on is just an exaggeration of what actually happened. This actually does a good job at using this device to explain what’s real and fictitious, and it allows the viewer to feel like they know the band on a personal level much better.
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The fourth-wall breakingis also effective towards the end when the film takes a more serious direction. Since the band is seemingly there to rewrite their own stories, they also have to be held culpable for their misdeeds.The Dirtactually suggests that they might have atoned for their mistakes, which may or not be the case. Like many musician biopics, the real-life figures were involved inThe Dirtcreatively, and so their influence on their depiction is clearly subjective. However, since the film is framed as a not-quite-accurate portrayal of reality, it’s much more digestible than simply ignoring any potential controversies altogether would be.
Genuinely Interesting Performances
While the film is certainly not aiming at receiving Academy Awards attention, as it’s clearly best viewed as a zany comedy, the performances from the central cast are all quite strong. Not only do they capture the chemistry of what being in an intimate and tempestuous band would feel like, but they’re able to mix their terrific impersonations of the real-life figures without shying away from the true story. The film also requires a lot of physical comedy, a craft that is often much more challenging than some may imagine.
Some viewers may have been surprised to see Rheon in the sympathetic role of Mick, as his character Ramsay Bolton was one of themost detestable villainsin all ofGame of Thrones. However, the real Mick suffers from debilitating back issues that severely impacted his ability to play, and Rheon shows how he became more socially secluded than he became as a result.
Similarly, Webber had shown his intensity previously inThe Punisher, and does a great job at unpacking Neil’s complex history with domestic abuse. While Machine Gun Kelly has a bit of awkwardness to him, it fits that insecure nature of Lee. Lee is very relatable at the beginning due to his close relationship with his family, but he’s forced to change his egotistical personality after he leans too heavily into Nikki’s influence;Machine Gun Kelly obviouslynails any and all of the musical numbers like no one else.
Booth’s performance as Nikki is undoubtedly the standout. While he had previously appeared in many costume dramas and period pieces and given very formal performances, Booth completely transforms into a raging party monster whose aptitude for excess is seemingly unquenchable. Although Nikki pushes the group to get even more wild, he also suffers the most when they all go through therapy. Not only does Booth earnestly show the consequences of drug addiction, but he’s able to mask his accent with a voice that sounds exactly like the real Nikki.
