Creation Stories review: A familiar, nostalgic Britpop biopic
Modern movies have a habit of romanticising the generations before it. The 80s pined for the 50s with Back To The Future, Diner, and Stand By Me, while the 90s longed for the 60s with My Girl, Forrest Gump, and Austin Powers. As we venture into the 2020s, it’s the turn of the 90s to be mined for nostalgia. For British film, that means turning to the optimistic hedonism of Britpop, chronicled here in biopic Creation Stories.
Based on the autobiography of the same name, this is the story of Alan McGee (Ewan Bremner), a young Glaswegian with a passion for music who moves to London in the early 80s and forms Creation Records. Despite a chaotic approach to business, he signs influential 80s bands, before coming across a Mancunian group called Oasis. Their success would propel him and the British music industry into a golden era, with McGee enjoying every moment until the excess finally begins to consume him.
Directed by Nick Moran, who had his own 90s breakthrough in Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, and adapted by Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh, Creation Stories had the potential to be an authentic look at a period already combed through by documentaries including Live Forever and Supersonic. But we soon begin to see some tell-tale music biopic tropes that hint that all is not well. The narration device of an interview between Bremner and a journalist (Suki Waterhouse) is reminiscent of the AA meeting in Rocketman, and a lazy way to condense decades down to just the highlights.
McGee witnessed an entire era, and the problem Creation Stories has is capturing the right things. As with recent Brit comedy Schemers, stories of people who are adjacent to greatness can be frustrating, and while McGee is certainly worthy of being in the spotlight, we find ourselves whisked past numerous famous faces, wishing we saw a little more of their story. Moran, who did an excellent job of capturing Joe Meek in 2009’s Telstar, throws focus all over the place, telling us how impressive this time was instead of showing us.
What holds the film together is Bremner, who is perfect as McGee. He’s an underrated actor capable of both manic comedy and endearing pathos, both of which he brings to the role as we watch him ride the wave of success, before collapsing into a breakdown. He handles both highs and lows with ease, making sure even newcomers will feel something for his journey. The performance doesn’t quite match that of Steve Coogan in 24 Hour Party People, but Creation Stories a whole never quite defines the era in the way Michael Winterbottom did with the Factory Records biopic.
Complimented by an excellent soundtrack, Creation Stories is an energetic biopic that never quite captures the energy and excitement of the Cool Britannia years. It’s entertaining enough for those wanting a trip down memory lane, but there are enough concert films that do that already.
Creation Stories is available on Sky Cinema from 20th March)