Creation Stories - 2021
As someone who hit their teens in the UK at the beginning of the 90's there was always a chance that Nick Moran's latest directorial offering, Creation Stories, a biopic based on the autobiography of famed music industry exec Alan McGee, would resonate with me for the sound track alone. With the recent success of bio-pics for global mega stars Queen and Elton John, you'll be forgiven, certainly away from these shores, if you see the name Alan McGee and ask "who?". But, if you listened to the Indie music coming out of the UK in the 90's or have ever watched a middle aged man in a Fred Perry t-shirt play Wonderwall at an open mic you've certainly felt his influence. You see, Alan McGee is to many bands, most famously Oasis, what Sam Phillips was to Elvis and Brian Epstien was to The Beatles. He discovered something special and then made sure the rest of us got to see it too.
The sound track, whilst bursting at the seams with songs that had me reaching for my parka, was only one facet of an overall thoroughly entertaining cinematic experience. Period films like this one are at their best when they convey the mood and feeling of their particular moments in time, especially to those who lived it, and Creation Stories succeeds here in every regard. The film is full of manic, rebellious energy in no small part thanks to Ewen Bremenr's brilliant and often frenetic portrayal of its central character. Some actors are cursed with iconic roles early in their career and struggle to shake them off and I confess to immediately thinking "Spud" when I see Bremner but that was before watching Creation Stories. Bremner's manic energy and innate likeability are a joy to watch as his McGee gleefully makes his way in London drinking, snorting and gigging his way into music industry history. McGee appears to be a man driven by passion. Passion for music, passion for the bands on his label and passion for making things happen. His early years are handled by Leo Flanagan who does an excellent job of portraying young Alan as he discovers his love of music but also the distance between himself and his father who looks upon Alan's world with a mixture of confusion and disdain. The arc of that sometimes violent relationship carries through the movie and is handled with subtlety and care. This is where the emotional heart of the movie is, in Alan's relationships with his family. His supportive protective mother who encouraged a young Alan to be a dreamer is clearly an important figure in his life and the section midway through which deals with her death is heart shattering and Bremner delivers the dramatic gut punch beautifully. That section also features a wonderful sequence in Alan's childhood bedroom where his memories are played out whilst the adult Alan watches and prepares for his mothers funeral.
Alan's continued excess and eventual breakdown is again handled with subtlety and care where others may have gone for overblown. His matter of fact, naked honesty about his problems and his eventual re-emergence as sober, calmer yet no less effective, as evidenced by his brief but significant foray into UK politics, is testament to his enduring abilities.
But this is not a politics movie, it's a movie about music, or at least about a life driven by a love of music. There is a moment late in the movie where Alan meets with Malcom Maclaren, legendary manager of the sexpistols. Portrayed here in a brief but brilliant cameo by the film's director Nick Moran. Maclaren speaks to Alan of them being alchemists, people with the power to manifest magic and bestow destiny upon others. Alan claims many times to be little more than talentless opportunist but there is clearly more to him than that and if his Midas touch is anything to go by this movie is destined to find a large, loving and appreciative audience. It may even be bigger than U2.
Creation Stories is a riotous journey through the life and career of a true one off. Often laugh out loud, sometimes heartbreaking but above all celebratory of dreamers, rebelion, loud music and life. Full of great performances with an honorable mention for Jason Issacs' brief appearance as the seedy Hollywood producer who needs his own Netflix series ASAP.
This movie reminded me of what it felt like to be a teenager, of queuing outside Our Price for the latest Oasis album and of those moments when the DJ played the anthems of my youth and that desperate search for my friends on the dance floor. Dancing like loons with cans of Red Stripe in our fists and grins on our faces. As the movie finished I'd never wanted to go back to an Indie club more, I suspect Alan would be cool with that.
Now, where did I put my Burbery shirt?
As someone who hit their teens in the UK at the beginning of the 90's there was always a chance that Nick Moran's latest directorial offering, Creation Stories, a biopic based on the autobiography of famed music industry exec Alan McGee, would resonate with me for the sound track alone. With the recent success of bio-pics for global mega stars Queen and Elton John, you'll be forgiven, certainly away from these shores, if you see the name Alan McGee and ask "who?". But, if you listened to the Indie music coming out of the UK in the 90's or have ever watched a middle aged man in a Fred Perry t-shirt play Wonderwall at an open mic you've certainly felt his influence. You see, Alan McGee is to many bands, most famously Oasis, what Sam Phillips was to Elvis and Brian Epstien was to The Beatles. He discovered something special and then made sure the rest of us got to see it too.
The sound track, whilst bursting at the seams with songs that had me reaching for my parka, was only one facet of an overall thoroughly entertaining cinematic experience. Period films like this one are at their best when they convey the mood and feeling of their particular moments in time, especially to those who lived it, and Creation Stories succeeds here in every regard. The film is full of manic, rebellious energy in no small part thanks to Ewen Bremenr's brilliant and often frenetic portrayal of its central character. Some actors are cursed with iconic roles early in their career and struggle to shake them off and I confess to immediately thinking "Spud" when I see Bremner but that was before watching Creation Stories. Bremner's manic energy and innate likeability are a joy to watch as his McGee gleefully makes his way in London drinking, snorting and gigging his way into music industry history. McGee appears to be a man driven by passion. Passion for music, passion for the bands on his label and passion for making things happen. His early years are handled by Leo Flanagan who does an excellent job of portraying young Alan as he discovers his love of music but also the distance between himself and his father who looks upon Alan's world with a mixture of confusion and disdain. The arc of that sometimes violent relationship carries through the movie and is handled with subtlety and care. This is where the emotional heart of the movie is, in Alan's relationships with his family. His supportive protective mother who encouraged a young Alan to be a dreamer is clearly an important figure in his life and the section midway through which deals with her death is heart shattering and Bremner delivers the dramatic gut punch beautifully. That section also features a wonderful sequence in Alan's childhood bedroom where his memories are played out whilst the adult Alan watches and prepares for his mothers funeral.
Alan's continued excess and eventual breakdown is again handled with subtlety and care where others may have gone for overblown. His matter of fact, naked honesty about his problems and his eventual re-emergence as sober, calmer yet no less effective, as evidenced by his brief but significant foray into UK politics, is testament to his enduring abilities.
But this is not a politics movie, it's a movie about music, or at least about a life driven by a love of music. There is a moment late in the movie where Alan meets with Malcom Maclaren, legendary manager of the sexpistols. Portrayed here in a brief but brilliant cameo by the film's director Nick Moran. Maclaren speaks to Alan of them being alchemists, people with the power to manifest magic and bestow destiny upon others. Alan claims many times to be little more than talentless opportunist but there is clearly more to him than that and if his Midas touch is anything to go by this movie is destined to find a large, loving and appreciative audience. It may even be bigger than U2.
Creation Stories is a riotous journey through the life and career of a true one off. Often laugh out loud, sometimes heartbreaking but above all celebratory of dreamers, rebelion, loud music and life. Full of great performances with an honorable mention for Jason Issacs' brief appearance as the seedy Hollywood producer who needs his own Netflix series ASAP.
This movie reminded me of what it felt like to be a teenager, of queuing outside Our Price for the latest Oasis album and of those moments when the DJ played the anthems of my youth and that desperate search for my friends on the dance floor. Dancing like loons with cans of Red Stripe in our fists and grins on our faces. As the movie finished I'd never wanted to go back to an Indie club more, I suspect Alan would be cool with that.
Now, where did I put my Burbery shirt?