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01/26/06
Downtown 81 (1981)
71 %
Reviews Counted: 21 Fresh: 15 Rotten:6 Average Rating: 5.7/10
Runtime: 75 mins
Synopsis: DOWNTOWN 81 is a feature film starring the legendary American artist Jean Michel Basquiat (1960-1988.) Basquiat was a 19 year old painter, graffiti artist, poet and musician when he played the lead in this film, which vividly depicts the explosive downtown New York art and music scene of... [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Jean Michel Basquiat, Debbie Harry, Tuxedo Moon
Reviews
Top Critic
A film of considerable pleasure, not least the archival footage and evocation of a city and individuals fair brimming with life.
07/24/01
Top Critic
Invaluable because it catches the sights, sounds and moods of a city that are of a bygone era.
09/09/07
It’s not a great film, but rather disjointed as nothing really makes sense. But considering this is the only glimpse one would ever see of Basquiat before he was discovered by Andy Warhol, this film is somewhat of a masterpiece.
05/13/03
A fascinating if fragmented, dreamlike look at the downtown art-music-fashion scene of a yeasty, creative era.
03/07/02
A crudely poetic inventory of the people and places about to rock pop culture.
02/01/02
Performances by DNA and the Plastics alone are worth the price of admission.
11/02/01
Gives us a glimpse of the city as it was, suggesting that there was something revolutionary, even inspiring, about those days of not-so yore.
09/20/01
a sweet, harmless vision that never quite overcomes the lack of story...
08/24/01
A paean to funky neighborhoods before gentrification and gritty, neon-flecked streets before SUVs.
07/24/01
It captures the youthful excitement of a burgeoning creative movement.
07/20/01
As a piece of cinematic art, this meandering, shambolic film isn't much to speak of, but as a time capsule, it's priceless.
07/13/01
Top Critic
Amateurish in the extreme, the film is a feast of bohemian cliché, bad writing and worse acting.
07/13/01
Doesn't dawdle and, despite some eye-rolling dialogue, is a generally amiable time-trip.
07/10/01
Presents the underground culture and brings its pretentiousness along with it.
07/10/01
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