Basquiat (1996, dir. Julian Schnabel)

Basquiat (1996, dir. Julian Schnabel)

What Is It?: A biopic about the meteoric rise and swift demise of street artist-turned-New York-Art-Scene-Darling Jean-Michel Basquiat.

What About It?: The impressive directorial debut of 80's Art World superstar-cum-chubby egotist, Julian Schnabel, Basquiat is a well-crafted, vibrant -- if ultimately empty -- portrait of one of the first street artists to gain "legitimate" fame on the walls of galleries and museums. In his first starring vehicle, the perfectly cast Jeffery Wright disappears into the role and adds considerable depth to an otherwise shallow script. Fun cameos abound from Gary Oldman as Schnabel himself to David Bowie as Andy Warhol, wearing Warhol's actual hairpieces.

Why Should I See It?: An excellent example of the oft-tedious, completely fairly maligned genre of the biopic, Basquiat is both engaging and entertaining while giving the impression that we're learning about the enigmatic titular artist. That Wright turns in a terrific performance and Schnabel makes a colorful, well-edited film seems to be almost a bonus.

What Else Is It Like?: Love is the Devil, Vincent and Theo, the Scorsese bit of New York Stories.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library.

--ddt/pdx