Written and directed by Julian Schnabel, the brief life of Jean Michel Basquiat, a world renowned New York street artist struggling with fame, drugs and his identity. Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Michael Wincott, Benicio Del Toro, Claire Forlani, David Bowie, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken, Willem Dafoe, Parker Posey and more.
As you enter the world of Basquiat, you’re quickly thrown into a plethora of familiar, beloved names, and it would be extremely hard not to be impressed with the cast list it’s boasting. This film is stuffed to the gills with exceptional actors, and they all bring such individual and memorable personalities. Although obviously, you have to separate Jeffrey Wright’s performance as he is the heart of the film. A film that is not without its flaws, but Wright is not one of them, this being his debut performance is remarkable.
The range that Wright brought to this role makes watching it back almost thirty years later evoke a contempt and despondency for an industry that did not truly embrace his talents until quite recently. However, that’s a much, much larger conversation best left to those with the right expertise. The duality that Wright brings to Jean Michel Basquiat is fascinating to watch, the overt confidence in his natural artistic talent mixed with his awareness of the racial prejudice he’s bombarded with and the imposter syndrome-esque tentativeness that gives him. It starts out with these undertones of sadness stemming from his drug use then evolves into something much more complex as time goes on.
At a certain point you can feel his downfall begin as more and more cracks appear, and that tone is very well done but Basquiat does struggle otherwise. It holds onto this vagueness with its flow, there’s a classic nonchalance of the art world in the way that it moves. While stylistically that feels entirely relevant, it doesn’t make for the most engaging viewing experience. It’s jumping in and out of his life, skipping ahead and never getting a firm grasp on the story. So, while the aesthetic itself is excellent and the direction feels nicely organic and grounded in an authentic way, everything doesn’t quite come together.
Although an unexpected element which works particularly well is the chemistry between Wright and David Bowie’s Andy Warhol. The two make for a genuinely charming pair, they challenge one another and create a distinctly unique vibe. They have a certain kinship that becomes a rock for Jean Michel Basquiat, and Bowie and Wright capture that friendship in such a compelling way. Their scenes together are undoubtedly some of the strongest that Basquiat has to offer. Wright’s scenes with Benicio Del Toro and Gary Oldman follow closely behind them and Christopher Walken’s brief appearance is unquestionably memorable for its delightful awkwardness. Playing with that sense of unease is something Julian Schnabel does well.
Basquiat is a story worth telling of a unique talent which is filled with sadness and the double-edged sword of fame. Jeffrey Wright gives a terrific performance and is surrounded by a wealth of talent for the entirety of the film. However, the flow and progression of the film let the other elements down, it has so much to offer but the overall execution makes for muddled viewing. There’s a clunkiness to it, it rushes ahead while actually moving quite slowly. It’s absolutely worth watching but a shame to see it not reach its full potential which such depth of talent on display.
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