The Bikeriders Review – A Poetic Ecstasy For Bikeriders

The Bikeriders Review Movie Talkies

The Bikeriders Review: Jeff Nichols's The Bikeriders finally comes to the big screen almost a year after its Telluride premiere. It was known that the story was inspired by true events, but I never imagined it to be so real and mature. It's brutally honest in depicting the characters and the events and does not shy away from spitting out facts, even though some of those characters have to look creepy for that. That's the real fun, you know. You can't really change things with an intense and offbeat drama like this. It would have been a different case with a biopic of a musician/singer/actor/politician/famous celebrity, but here, they were open and straightforward about whom we were bringing to the screen. Yes, not everyone knows about the outlaw gang (especially in India), so it would be difficult to catch up with them, but it's not impossible. The film is mainly for bikers, who love the two-wheeler thing more than anything in the world, but I must say, it has enough drama for regular moviegoers too.Set between 1965 and 1973, the film follows the rise of the Vandals MC, a Chicago outlaw motorcycle club. Kathy (Jodie Comer) begins telling her story in a bit of a chicky accent that we find a little childish in the beginning, but after a while, it starts feeling mature, adorable, and unique. Kathy sees a good-looking man in the club, and the next thing we know, she is married to him. That man is none other than Benny (Austin Butler). The club is owned and ruled by Johnny (Tom Hardy), who is also the leader of the Vandals gang. The club evolves over the course of a decade from a surrogate family for local outcasts into a violent organized crime syndicate, threatening the original founder's unique vision and way of life. The newbies actually take over the club, and its original identity vanishes in the air. What happens to Johnny and Benny? Find out in the film.The Bikeriders rides high on entertainment and comedy in the first half and start taking control of you. However, the second half loses pace until we get to the tragically redefined finale of the story. There are some genuinely funny moments that crack you up, and believe it or not, but they aren't intentionally comedy scenes. That's what I call the power of the screenplay. You successfully win your viewers, and they start enjoying every moment of it. "You done?" asks Johnny to Kathy and the audience is laughing. There wasn't anything funny about it—comically—but the situation turned out to be so. The Bikeriders is in smooth gear in that part throughout the ride. What goes wrong in the second half is the pick up point after the intermission. Nobody wants a healthy, entertaining ride to suddenly turn into a gloomy affair. We get a valid explanation for it, but still, the idea of presenting those events could have been better.Talking about performance, I'd say all have been in the right gear. Starting with Austin Butler, I mean, this guy is on cloud nine right now. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Elvis, Dune 2, and now The Bikeriders. Four back-to-back amazing performances, and what VERSATILITY! Tom Hardy was so hard as the passionate biker and frustrated leader here. Every time he said "nah," he hit the right chords. Such a difficult 60s accent he had to carry, and he carried it with ease. Kathy, played by Jodie Comer, is super cute. 10 on 10 for the hairdo coming on her forehead and the accent she carried in the movie. I wouldn't be surprised to see her get a bunch of nominations next year. Mike Faist plays Danny Lyon in two parts and does a fine job out there. I loved his expressions in that climax scene when Karthy says, "We are happy," and he just chews his lips thinking about Benny's mental stress. The next frame has Austin giving one of the finest examples of the "silence speaks louder than words" phrase. In the supporting roles, you see Michael Shannon, Norman Reedus, Boyd Holbrook, Damon Herriman, Beau Knapp, Emory Cohen, Happy Anderson, and Toby Wallace doing just fine.The Bikeriders is incomplete without its cinematography. Adam Stone's camera work definitely deserves some awards coming his way, or at least nominations or enough recognition. The way he captured bikes, the expressions, those wide shots, zoom-ins, long cuts, bottom shots of the road, and also a few top shots—I tell you, he's added a poetic touch to this bikers' ride. To add on, the terrific use of background score elevates the scenes to the next level. You hear the voice of the bike's silencer and just feel it. A pure moment of ecstasy! Julie Monroe's editing could have been better in the second half, but overall, it wasn't anything bad. Loving (2016) fame Jeff Nichols hits the road again, only to take you to your destination. The Bikeriders needed a certain vision that could reflect the riders' passion for the golden age of motorcycles, and I don't know how, but Jeff had it in him. It was unexpected, but an extremely pleasant surprise. Overall, The Bikeriders serves its purpose wholeheartedly, but more than that, it's poetically pleasant and brutally honest towards its main context. If you love bikes, you GOTTO LOVE THIS. PERIOD.