27. Sid and Nancy

"But Sidney's more than a mere bass player. He's a fabulous disaster. He's a symbol, a metaphor, he embodies the dementia of a nihilistic generation. He's a fuckin' star."

Note: Until I get to the top ten...most of the films will seem a bit rushed, but this is to finish the project by the new year. I will mainly give details on the highlights, but will be happy to discuss the finer details of several films along the way. On with the show though...

Sid and Nancy is a difficult film to love. It is loud, chaotic, painful, and full of sorrow. It was as if director, Alex Cox, was attempting to make the least likable film possible, but it is from the above descriptions that we find a connection often missed by film: that of the human variety.

Sid Vicious (played by the always brilliant Gary Oldman), of the Sex Pistols, and Nancy Spungen offer a stark contrast to the lovers of generations past. It is their mistakes and descent into misery that one finds something truly human in their interactions. Of course, this is not an ideal situation, few would argue that, but this is a situation that seems far more real than those often portrayed in most love tales (not to knock any, as I have a special place in my heart for films like Love Actually and Bridget Jones's Diary).

What adds to the appeal of the film is the fact that I love music and its history. To say the least, the Sex Pistols have been rather important for the development of punk since their inception in the 1970s. To put it simply, this is the finest film about a music artist I've seen (although Control comes at a close second...if only for the fact that I like Joy Division quite a bit more).