With this film, writer / director Mark Christopher attempts to pay tribute to the notorious "Studio 54", a disco nightclub in NYC. His story focuses on Shane O'Shea (Ryan Phillippe), a young man from Jersey City who thinks that if he can get into the place, it will provide the launching pad for great things in his life.
Christopher also attempts to flesh out his main characters as much as he can, but ultimately "54" comes off as a typical "more style than substance" sort of picture. It's incredible in the way that it portrays the sights and sounds of this hangout, and the steady parade of celebrities who frequented it, but it's a cliched rather than nuanced story. The directors' cut assembled by Christopher plays up the bisexuality of the Shane character, and devotes more time to the love triangle between Shane and his co-workers / friends (Salma Hayek and Breckin Meyer), but this doesn't make it that much more interesting. It's an effective story of hedonism and decadence, but it feels too familiar to be that effective. Besides, it takes the unscrupulous main character basically the entire movie - when he ends up with nothing - what a heel he's been.
The performances go a fair way towards making up for this, and there are many cameos as well, but the most interesting character on screen doesn't get a lot of screen time, and that's Steve Rubell (Mike Myers), the ringmaster of all this nightly debauchery. Myers does a superb job of immersing himself inside the role, and you easily forget other notable characters he's played.
I'm told the 2018 documentary "Studio 54" does offer, overall, a more insightful look at the material; this fictional yarn has at least motivated me to give that film a look.
Great soundtrack, in any event.
Six out of 10.
Christopher also attempts to flesh out his main characters as much as he can, but ultimately "54" comes off as a typical "more style than substance" sort of picture. It's incredible in the way that it portrays the sights and sounds of this hangout, and the steady parade of celebrities who frequented it, but it's a cliched rather than nuanced story. The directors' cut assembled by Christopher plays up the bisexuality of the Shane character, and devotes more time to the love triangle between Shane and his co-workers / friends (Salma Hayek and Breckin Meyer), but this doesn't make it that much more interesting. It's an effective story of hedonism and decadence, but it feels too familiar to be that effective. Besides, it takes the unscrupulous main character basically the entire movie - when he ends up with nothing - what a heel he's been.
The performances go a fair way towards making up for this, and there are many cameos as well, but the most interesting character on screen doesn't get a lot of screen time, and that's Steve Rubell (Mike Myers), the ringmaster of all this nightly debauchery. Myers does a superb job of immersing himself inside the role, and you easily forget other notable characters he's played.
I'm told the 2018 documentary "Studio 54" does offer, overall, a more insightful look at the material; this fictional yarn has at least motivated me to give that film a look.
Great soundtrack, in any event.
Six out of 10.
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