by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Who doesn’t love a good old music biopic? The 21st century sparked this subgenre of biopics with great films from Ray to Walk the Line. They have boasted iconic performances from some of the best actors in Hollywood. Every year, we get even more films like this, and 2022 is no different. With bands like Oasis and Primal Scream, it takes a certain kind of person to manage them. There are plenty of famous music producers in the industry and one of the most successful ones is Alan McGee. This is the story of Creation Stories.
What is the key to making a memorable and quality music biopic? The central performance, of course. If the main performance doesn’t soar, the rest of the film is going down with them. Scottish actor Ewen Bremner gets a chance to shine in the spotlight with this leading role. Bremner has been supporting in Trainspotting and Wonder Woman,but here he gets to show what he can do. There is manic energy about Bremner’s portrayal as McGee. This man had confidence, but would let too many issues get in the way of him being consistently happy. Bremner got to play off drug use, on-air outbursts, and plenty of other music industry cliché behaviors. These might not be the most dynamic and unique characters, but there is a fun performance to appreciate here.
But what about the actual plot for the film? Honestly, this is one of those films that will make you feel like you have seen it before. The screenplay for Creation Stories does not steer too far away from standard music biopic narrative beats. There is certainly a snarky Scottish twinge to the proceedings with this life being quite Glaswegian. There is plenty of humor pumped into the story from the charismatic cast. McGee’s family dynamics are fun and interesting, especially with his relationship with his uptight and strict father. Is it a familiar dynamic? Sure, but these characters bring plenty of fun to this narrative thread. Sprinkle in a few fun supporting turns from Jason Isaacs, Paul Kaye, Steven Berkoff, and Jason Flemyng, and this flick has plenty of fun to enjoy.
Even with a familiar story, does director Nick Moran offer up some interesting direction? There is plenty of style thrown into the film. The use of music gives the film a “cool” factor which matches the hip nature of McGee’s artists. Injecting plenty of Primal Scream and Oasis goes a long way. The song choices also help the narrative move forward. There are even a few story-telling choices that are fresh and interesting, including one sequence involving Kaye’s character. Moran delivers a great sense of energy for his film which never felt boring (even if those scenes are familiar).
Is this the freshest music biopic out there? Not quite. But does it have plenty of personality? Sure does. Throw in a strong leading performance from Bremner, and you will have plenty of things to enjoy about Creation Stories. It even has some quality insight into the nature of the music industry and the lifestyle that it invokes. If a good traditional music biopic with some attitude sounds like your jam, show this one some love!
Grade: B-
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