Jobriath A.D.2013
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Member Reviews (5)
I could do without the animation, but it made me appreciate his great merits as a musician. Like many in my late boomer age I saw him on Midnight Special, which was a poor representation of his musical talents. Months after Diamond Dogs he seemed a pale imitation of a clone. But he could write the pathos-ridden Outside on solo piano, and you knew he had a grasp of theory under his belt even in things like Scumbag or the other songs on Pidgeon, his debut outing. It was a great injustice to fall as hard as he did. That Jerry Brandt is portrayed sympathetically seems right as he was evangelical about his product and his charge, but lacked the intuitive genius and sheer ruthlessness of a McClaren.
Stylistically, this is a pretty ho-hum documentary. Still, because Jobriath is an enigmatic, talented, and charismatic figure, it's impossible to not be wrapped up in the proceedings.
Sidebar: For me, there's no greater line delivery in pop music history than when Jobriath coolly asserts: "so I'm an elegant man." A dominant yet kittenish balloon pop of confidence and mystery.
Pretty good. I wasn't that big of a fan about the music: I found it derivative of Bowie (who also made some slighting comments about Jobriath). But I found his story very interesting and sad.
I have mixed feelings on this doc. A little too by-the-book in its formality but the animations that intersperse the interviews and footage are really effective. A disappointing moment in music and promotion, although Jobraith's claim as the first openly gay musical performer is quite a revelation.
An important film for anyone seeking to understand this period in US gay or music clulture