#GFF21 review: Creation Stories

By Adam Ray Palmer
 
For our fourth film that we’re covering at the 2021 Glasgow Film Festival, this one is already home; the indie biopic called Creation Stories.
 
Nick Moran directs from writers Dean Cavanagh and Irvine Walsh’s (Trainspotting) script as Creation Stories stars Ewan Bremner, Jason Isaacs, Suki Waterhouse and Thomas Turgoose.

Creation Stories tells the unforgettable tale of infamous Creation Records label head Alan McGee; and of how one written-off young Glaswegian upstart rose to irrevocably change the face of British culture. We follow the young Alan from his adolescent days to the present-day businessman passing through his rock n roll lifestyle in the 80s and 90s as he found his love of music.

The story is built on present day interviews, flashbacks of a youthful Alan McGee and drug trips that showcase his creative, drug-fuelled mind. It’s intelligently put together to get nearly four decades of a life into a two-hour movie, with it rarely feeling like it misses a beat. The narration really helps the film tick along nicely, explaining the slower sections quicker so we can get back to the disorderly fun.
 
For me, a part from the fascinating story, the movie wins in the post-production department. The slick transitions, freeze-frame editing and colourful jump cuts littered throughout; give the viewer an authentic feel of the time. Nostalgia is confirmed when you couple the aforementioned with the stained and hazy framing as the camera moshes in the underground punk gigs. You then get rare moments of breaking the fourth wall as Ewan Bremner’s Alan McGee talks to the audience directly, adding more to that trippy feel throughout.

And talking of Bremner, his leading performance is top drawer. To be in every scene of the film and to never feel exhausted is a brilliant feat. He spends so much time being animated which is easy to overact, and then when he switches it up in the more tender scenes, it shows his versatility. He’s been an underrated actor for so long, and this movie gives him his deserved platform.
 
Creation Stories is quite clearly the most raucous event of the Glasgow Film Festival this year. From start to finish, it’s an absolute trip. On a personal note, I am so glad McGee missed that train too.
 
Cineroom’s rating: 4 stars
 
Creation Stories will be released on 20th March 2021 – certificate TBC