Sid & Nancy

I always have trouble with movies about low-lives, the antics of the protagonists being so inane that I can't appreciate what other aspects of the film there may be to appreciate. Given this, I'm always moved to ask why do the makers bother?  Well clearly everyone knows about the inglorious carryings-on of the Sex Pistols' bass player, Sid Vicious, and his squeeze, the suitably-named Nancy Spungen and in 1986 the topic would still have had some pulling power but today is anyone really going to care?

The reality is that Vicious was no real talent (he never even played on their albums) and his girlfriend was a skanky hanger-on. Gary Oldham (at 28 a little too old to play the 21 year-old Vicious) and Chloe Webb do an excellent job of portraying them during their brief period in the limelight but whilst this sort of louche stuff is grist to English indie filmmaker Cox's mill there's little here to sustain attention.

 

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