Performance (1970)

You won't be disappointed!

Wonderfully offbeat film!

not horrible nor great

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

After the p-rnographic opening sequence there are about 15 minutes of compelling 70s British crime drama. Then Fox goes on the run and the whole movie swirls irretrievably into the toilet. There's more p-rn, this time with Anita Pallenberg looking like she's strung out on heroin. There's a boy(?) in a dress or is that just a fat ugly girl? There's Mick Jagger looking as pale as death. I can't be the only one on Earth who thinks this - isn't he about the ugliest human being not named Carrot Top or Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)? What a mess. Roeg must have consumed a metric tonne of drugs in his day to have churned out movie after movie after movie of self-indulgent, p- rnographic drivel.

Performance is one of the all-time great psychedelic films. But while it has its share of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, its scope goes a fair bit further. It's essentially an avant-garde film in many ways and, therefore, is one that will turn-off a lot of viewers. But if you can take its experimentation you will be rewarded, as this is a real one-off and a definite high-point of counterculture movies as a whole. It was helmed by two unique artists, Nicolas Roeg and Donald Cammell; both of whom would go on to make other very interesting films. For my money Performance is arguably the best thing either one of them ever did.The narrative is effectively two stories colliding with one and other. It starts out as a crime film and then becomes an oddball drama, all the while gradually mutating into something increasingly stranger as it progresses. In summary it is about a gangster called Chas who is on the run who hides in the house of Turner, a reclusive rock star, while there odd inner psychological transformations occur that ultimately affect both characters in extreme ways. Identity is at the heart of this particular story. After being given hallucinogenic mushrooms, Chas has a vivid trip where he experiences revelations including an unexpected identification with Turner (even his name suggests he has the ability to turn you), a man who seems to be his polar opposite on the surface. Both characters in fact find that there are aspects in the other that they connect with, leading to Chas dressed like a counter-culture drop-out and Turner displaying an increasing fascination with the criminal persona. This is manifested in 'Memo From Turner' where Chas imagines Turner as his crime boss, it's a scene all the more impressive seeing as its one of the very earliest examples of what would go on to be known as the pop video.If nothing else though, Performance is visually a tour de force. It exhibits the highly experimental, bold editing that would go on to typify later films that Roeg would go on to direct. For this reason it certainly feels from a visual perspective that Roeg was the main influence; while story-content seems to have come primarily from Cammell. Whatever the case, this is a consistently interesting looking film, with disorientating edits and inventive camera-work. The grungy, crumbling den in which the majority of the action takes place is ripe for this kind of treatment. Its cluttered, decadent interiors create an atmosphere all of their own and add a considerable amount to the overall effect of the film.It is also helped considerably by an unusual cast who work extremely well together. Mick Jagger plays the androgynous Turner with ease. It's a role you could argue he was born to play for obvious reasons but Turner is more than a Jagger clone and is ultimately a somewhat strange character that would not have been nearly so compelling if it had not been for the fact that Jagger illustrates him so well. James Fox, as Chas, is probably even better still. He convinces as both the hard man criminal and the confused hybrid character he is by the end. He brings to the screen a definite charisma that works very well. Anita Pallenberg also makes an indelible impression as Pherber, one of Turner's groupies. I had only previously seen her in Barbarella as the Black Queen. She was a lot of fun in that one but as Pherber she is much better and incredibly sexy into the bargain as well.It's certainly not a film for everyone but there is a lot to like here if you have a taste for the odder side of cinema, especially if you like it with a dash of counter-cultural psychedelia.

I remember this film as listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die mainly because of the lead singer of The Rolling Stones in a leading role, I was looking forward to seeing what it was like, from directors Donald Cammell (Demon Seed, Wild Side) and debuting Nicolas Roeg (Walkabout, Don't Look Now, The Man Who Fell to Earth). Basically Chas (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's James Fox) is a thug in the East End of London, who works for gang leader Harry Flowers (Johnny Shannon), he revels in his work with his sadistic nature and intimidation through violence, and he has many many casual and rough sexual liaisons. When a betting shop owned by Joey Maddocks (Anthony Valentine) is to be taken over Flowers forbids Chas from getting involved, as he has history with Maddocks, angry about this ignores him and humiliates Maddocks, and his old rival retaliates wrecking his apartment and beating him, and Chas shoots him and runs away, Flowers refuses to give him protection and now wants him eliminated. Chas initially decides to hide in countryside, but he instead stays in London, he assumes the new name Johnny Dean and he finds the Notting Hill house of reclusive and eccentric former rock musician Turner (Mick Jagger), and moving in he gets close to female inhabitant Pherber (Anita Pallenberg), she and Lucy (Michele Breton) enjoy a non-possessive bisexual sexual relationship. Turner and Chas start off not liking each other much, but slowly influence each other in certain things, and Chas even shows homophobic tendencies, so Turner and Pherber want to understand his conflict and help him in some way, so they give him hallucinogenic drugs and he opens up, explaining a caring relationship, and outgrowing psychological boundaries while functioning as a stereotypical masculine man in a gangster world. The film ends with the gangsters eventually catching up to where Chas has been hiding, Chas for some reasons shoots and kills Turner, while Pherber is hiding in the cupboard, he seems to be welcomed back by his boss Flowers as told by another thug Rosebloom/Rosie (Stanley Meadows), of course this is just a ploy to have him killed, and we see an unknown face through the window of the car that drives away, it is unclear if it is Chas or Turner. Also starring Ann Sidney as Dana, John Bindon as Moody and Allan Cuthbertson as The Lawyer. Fox plays his role as the masochistic gangster going to into hiding well, but to me Jagger stole the show as the odd landlord who still wants to be making small tunes but has perhaps lost his flair, the story is fragmented and may be confusing most of the time, but with the distinctive style, high amount of controversial violence and interesting hallucinogenic material and imagery it is a worthwhile drama. It was nominated the BAFTA for Best Film Editing. Very good!

We watched this last night. My partner has been waxing lyrical about this films for as long as we've been together. i've always been fairly resistant to be honest - I've always enjoyed listening to the Stones, but never really got 'The Stones'. As far as I was concerned they are rock legends, sure but that's about the size of it. Their really great mid sixties stuff was contemporary Waaaaay before my time. I really didn't get the whole Stones mystique. Well, I can say I now get it. Wow do I! I can't say I've ever been a massive believer in the 'Mick Jagger Sex God' hype. But I can see why he had the rep he did - So dark and alluring and dangerously different. This film has certainly opened my eyes up to a whole new world ... I'm really looking forward to re-listening to their albums with this new world view.