Movielogr

Rating: 7 stars

Tags

artist art new york city painting art gallery interview drugs 1980s

All movies seen on 01/25/2016

View on: IMDb | TMDb

Basquiat (1996)

Directed by Julian Schnabel

Biography | Drama

Overview

The brief life of Jean Michel Basquiat, a world renowned New York street artist struggling with fame, drugs and his identity.

Rated R | Length 107 minutes

Actors

Jeffrey Wright | Michael Wincott | Benicio del Toro | Claire Forlani | David Bowie | Dennis Hopper | Gary Oldman | Christopher Walken | Willem Dafoe | Jean-Claude La Marre | Parker Posey | Elina Löwensohn | Paul Bartel | Courtney Love | Tatum O'Neal | Chuck Pfeiffer | Rockets Redglare | Esther G. Schnabel | Jack Schnabel | Lola Schnabel | Peter McGough | David McDermott | Michael Chow | Stella Schnabel | Steven Randazzo | Michael Badalucco | Francis Dumaurier | Joseph R. Gannascoli | Hope Clarke | Brian Wright | Tarmo Urb | Denise Burse | Robert Alexander | Vincent Laresca | Nemo Librizzi | Leonard Jackson | Dave Shelley | Frederick Weller | Rene Rivera | Sam Rockwell | Ron Brice | William Seymour | Richard E. Butler | Joe Glasco | Steven Parenago | Vladamir Parenago | José Luis Ferrer | Irene Kiss | Richard the Ox | Thomas Urb | Vincent Gallo | Linda Larkin

Viewing History (seen 1 time)

Viewing Notes

This is not the best bio-pic but HOLY SHIT THIS CAST. Seriously. One scene with Willem Dafoe, Jeffrey Wright, Gary Oldman and Parker Posey?! Another scene with Wright, David Bowie, Dennis Hopper and Michael Wincott. Or how about an early diner scene with Benicio Del Toro, Wright and Claire Forlani and Wincott. Oh yeah Christopher Walken, Tatum O’Neal and Courtney Love are here too.

Had I seen this in the 90s I would count it towards my project. Alas this is a first time viewing but one I’ve wanted to see for some time. Sad that it took Bowie’s recent death to finally get this in my eyeballs. Bowie is fun as Warhol but oddly not nearly weird enough. Wincott is my favorite in this. Super surprised by Wright’s performance as Basquiat. Not sure I’d know that was him if I hadn’t seen the cast before watching.

I like the story of Basquiat’s rise to fame but it’s very by the numbers with little introspect into the person other than the surface stories. I’d like to see one of the documentaries about his life now.

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