Studio 54: director's cut - 1998

Studio 54: director's cut - 1998 (/2015) (US)

The difficult and amazing life at the end of the 70s seen by an ordinary, uncultured young man. 

The movie wants to provide the atmosphere and excitement around the king of the disco clubs of the 70s. The goal is pretty reached. I will only talk about the director's cut version of the movie that is pretty different by the original in the theatres back in the 90s.

I'm a great fan of the music of the 70s so this was the movie for me. I ignored what the studio 54 was (I was a kid at its time) but the movie provides me the electricity that was there at the time. 

The casting is amazing. Ryan Philippe acting is great: I really believe that he's a very simple, uncultured stunning man. Mike Myers is great at his portrait of Steve Rubell, but I admit that I don't  know if the real Rubell acted that way. 

The movie provides all the atmosphere that Rubell created in order to have people living a free sex and drugs lifestyle. The club attracted a lot of people from all over the world because of this. At the time this was unique and the freedom possible there was practically unlimited. 

The huge use of drugs is present everywhere and the many VIPs that attended the club are there as well (even if way less mentioned that what occurred). 

What I like of this movie is the great soundtrack and the show of the void of a life based on only cuteness in  world of sharks. I use you, you use me. This is the main theme and the probable main critic to the era. 

It's funny how I keep thinking that is unreal that Myers' character tells on TV about hiding money from the IRS, but this is the reality of what happened and it's simply crazy, probably Steve's judgment was clouded by the huge use of drugs he was doing. 

The scene around the bar and all the sex involved in the interaction with the customers is very well done. Not too much and pretty clear. Rubell was able to create a mix of culture (disco clubs), nightclub, entertainment that was really great even if terribly dangerous. 

Apart the main things about the club, the story-lines related to Shane's family and friends are pretty good. I recognize some mentions to Saturday Night Fever even if this weakens a little the plot. Maybe the situation with Shane's father are are shallow because Shane is pretty shallow himself , and probably is his father, but this is just a thought.

The costumes are amazing. Apparently the 54 was recreated pretty well, based on various comment I read on the internet of the usual customer of the club back in the days.

I like a lot that in this movie that we can have a glimpse of the crazy freedom that was around the world at that time: a lot of unprotected sex and a lot of mates, that nowadays looks pretty crazy (it was the pre-AIDS situation). 

my vote: 3.5/5