Morrissey 25: Live review

An intimate Morrissey gig hits the big screen

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Morrissey has been sick (pneumonia), silly (crass interview comments) and silenced (no money to tour) lately, but James Russell’s intimate March 2013 gig film is an often ecstatic reassertion of the bond between the mordant rocker and his fans.

Like an ageing Sinatra possessed by a ’50s rocker, Moz is on melodramatic form: whipping through Smiths hits and solo laments, he croons like the mic is his lifeline.

The mid stretch drags, but by the time the LA crowd hurtle stage-wards for a bullish ‘The Boy With The Thorn In His Side’, a(nother) career resurrection seems within his reach.

Freelance writer

Kevin Harley is a freelance journalist with bylines at Total Film, Radio Times, The List, and others, specializing in film and music coverage. He can most commonly be found writing movie reviews and previews at 12DOVE.