'The Bikeriders (2023)' is based on the book of the same name and follows the lives of members of a motorcycle gang founded in the late 1960s. At the heart of the film is Jodie Comer's Kathy, a straight-laced lady who becomes enamored by the mysterious Benny (Austin Butler) and finds herself in a sort of love triangle between her new husband and the founder of the gang he holds so dear (Tom Hardy). Kathy is, essentially, the film's protagonist, as it's told primarily from her perspective and the interview-based framing device ensures that even the scenes she isn't in are tinged with her point of view. Essentially an examination of a specific kind of masculinity, the movie doesn't focus as much on motorcycles as you may expect - even though bikes are certainly integral to, and inseparable from, its core concept. Taking place over a number of years, the narrative essentially depicts the downfall of the club, which initially starts out as a way for lonely men to connect and not feel like outsiders anymore but eventually devolves into a sprawling, out-of-control gang that dabbles in real crime. One of the main problems with the piece is that it's arguable Benny isn't really a character so much as a prop or, perhaps, idea; he never changes and his relationship with Kathy is so poorly defined that it's difficult to know if either of them actually care about each other for large portions of the piece (perhaps this is intentional, but it still feels weird and makes it hard to invest in one of the central plot lines). Johnny, the club's founder, is more of a conventional character in the sense that he changes over the course of the story, becoming noticeably more weary as time goes on. Kathy, too, evolves in her own way. Everyone else is fairly one-note (although a couple of notable side players are treated with more nuance), but that's almost unavoidable when there are so many characters and there's so much history that needs to be covered. The film feels somewhat observational and cold, although it also has a handful of more intimate scenes that are far more affecting than its more clinical segments. However, it manages to capture the sort of fly-on-the-wall feel that its source material (which I haven't read) must also have considering it was written by someone who directly witnessed a lot of the events it depicts. In some ways, it feels like a sprawling epic; in others, a tragic romance (between husband and wife, friend and mentor, leader and follower, man and bike). It sometimes struggles to find its sense of purpose, but also features a handful of scenes that seem to pinpoint it with laser precision. There's also a palpable homoeroticism underpinning some of the affair (one scene in particular) and it tinges everything with an all-encompassing subtext that you can't help but think about once you've noticed. It's a little slow on occasion and it can sometimes leave you a little underwhelmed, but it's typically an entertaining and really well-crafted experience. The filmmaking isn't particularly fancy, but don't let that fool you into thinking it isn't top tier. The sets, costumes and vehicles plant the picture firmly in its intended time period and the performances are really grounded in a way that brings out the subtleties of scenes that wouldn't work anywhere near as well as they do if they weren't acted with such grace. It's a solid pseudo-biopic with an interesting subject and a confident execution.
Review of The Bikeriders
