Rating: NNNN
PERFORMANCE (Donald Cammell and Nicholas Roeg, 1970) prophesies the films of Soder- bergh, Tarantino and Guy Ritchie by blending wit, violence and psycho- tropic editing. Except for the automobiles and hairdos, it could have been shot yesterday. But 30 years ago, it made a studio executive’s wife vomit and languished for two years while Warner Bros. shook their heads. Intended as a simple star vehicle for 24-year-old Mick Jagger, it turned into a homoerotic jaunt through the criminal and bohemian underworlds, full of nipples and bums and bloody noses. James Fox, whose post-Performance career ranges from Third World volunteer work to the role of Harry in Sexy Beast, radiates cool as a hotheaded gangster hiding out in the home of a reclusive rock star (Jagger in his kittenish prime). Anita Pallenberg and Michèle Breton play Jagger’s bedmates. The film is smarter than it sounds, with feisty characters and trippy identity confusion. Even when the plot goes AWOL, it’s still a dizzying, colourful ride. NNNN (June 22, Bloor)
