"When you die, you're better off than when you're living." This is a complicated message that Benny (Austin Butler) utters to his wife, Kathy (Jodie Comer), as he attempts to explain his lot in life. Their gas-powered relationship and Benny's role in a ferocious 1960s-era motorcycle gang take center stage in an uncertain frontier. Directed by Jeff Nichols ("Mud") and adapted from the photo book of the same name by Danny Lyon, "The Bikeriders" ushers in a new chapter of mobsters for a generation thirsty for adult stories loosely based on actual events.
Picture this: Girl walks into a bar. Girl meets boy. Boy takes her for the ride of her life in the golden age of motorcycling.
This is ultimately the underlying premise of the "Goodfellas"-esque drama at the center of "The Bikeriders," showcasing a group of Illinois outlaws loyal to their club and forced to alienate those that don't belong. Between 1965 and 1973, Vandals MC ruled Chicago's streets and dive bars, surviving through organized crime that subsequently threatened the original founder, Johnny (Tom Hardy), and his vision for what the club could become. A story told through Kathy's narration aided by the incredibly talented Comer and the remarkable vision of Nichols, the film is a violent display of masculinity, power, and influence.
But "The Bikeriders" doesn't just lift up the motorcycle culture like "Easy Rider" before it. It dives deep into the inner relationships of the club, the characters that weave in and out of a dangerous but loyal bunch, the rivalries between opposing gangs, and the woman at the center of all the action. Kathy and Benny's bond and subsequent tornado of a marriage is explored in great detail, giving both Butler and Comer room to stretch their acting muscles.
Tom Hardy's Johnny is the odd man out in this clichéd American epic, using his gruff voice and dirty sentimentality to execute the dangers that lay ahead for the club he's poured his heart and soul into. Unfortunately, his character gets lost in the shuffle. Though the focus is squarely on Kathy and Benny as the film progresses, "The Bikeriders" lags because it offers an ensemble drama that gives less than other mob-style flicks of the era.
Jeff Nichols has never shied away from telling unique stories utilizing personal experiences and varying points of view. Here, organized crime and generational differences mark an otherwise stereotypical motorcycle movie akin to Marlon Brando's "The Wild One," both in humor, strength, and stability. There's nothing new shown on the screen that hasn't been included in similar movies of the genre, but Nichols benefits from a talented cast that drives the story forward.
Chief among them is Comer, who lights up the screen just as much as her costar Butler, a man who represents motherfucking sex on a stick when first introduced. "The Bikeriders" is Comer's movie, and even when the masculine energy is dialed up to eleven, it's Comer's Kathy that I kept my eye on. She's an intriguing character who hardly shrinks into the background to let the men in her life outshine her every move and thought.
As it should be.
Ticket Rating: 🎟🎟🎟1/2
Commentaires