Moonage Daydream: Movie Review

Director: Brett Morgen

How you'll feel about Moonage Daydream will largely depend on how you feel about David Bowie.

It's fair to say this audio-visual spectacular isn't interested in pandering to the non-fans, and isn't interested in using talking heads, timelines or pointers to explain where in Bowie's life it is.

So it may be a stretch to say that it's an access-all-areas welcoming piece for non-fans of the Thin White Duke.

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. As is the fact most of the film is spent by Bowie interviews and snippets explaining that he never really knew who he was, was searching for all his own life about his place in the world - it's not exactly a subtle message that's dripfed throughout.

But here's the thing with Moonage Daydream: it has access to millions of hours of footage from the Bowie estate and probably ends up being the closest film to get to the enigma that is Bowie, with concert scenes, key musical interludes (Heroes provides one of the film's goosebump moments) and intimate access to his paintings that were never really put on display for the world to see.

That is, there's much for the fan to be enamoured with - and for the non-fan, it may be a lesser feast, but it's also an insight into what makes an artist tick, what powers an intellect, and why he was so revered in life and in death.

Through it all, Morgen interlays moments of societal influences and cultural touchstones, providing clues and snippets of where in the world we are and what timeframe. It's no lie to say at the start, it's a visual overload, scenes interlacing, quick cuts, screaming fans, and musical mayhem all coagulate into one opening sequence that's heady and thrilling.

At 2 hours 20, there's a feeling some of the edit could have been a little more brutal as sequences are repeated for no narrative gain, a somewhat surprising touch given how much footage was on hand to editors. 

Yet there's no denying Moonage Daydream is a music documentary the likes of which we've not really seen before. It's Bowie who narrates this story, who informs the thrust of the piece, and whose voice is magnified up large - he's the propulsive force which gives Morgen his muse. 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.