Not very often do audiences receive a biopic as pointless and embarrassing as Creation Stories.  Then again, the filmmaker  could still benefit from a turkey like this.  If they believe their biopic holds valuable nostalgia or fan service, ham-fisted qualities can be forgiven by movie goers, allowing the movie to even win Oscars.  It worked for Bohemian Rhapsody.

Creation Stories follows the life and career of record label owner Alan McGee and, just as Bohemian Rhapsody built towards its climactic Live Aid concert, the movie is eager to reveal McGee’s discovery of English rock band Oasis.  Fully aware of Oasis’ popularity, director Nick Moran uses this career-defining moment in McGee’s life as bait to lead the audience through oddball stylistic choices and a flimsy narrative driven by a journalist (The Bad Batch’s Suki Waterhouse) interviewing Alan.  The latter is a disappointing storytelling tactic considering the role of the journalist is turned into an exposition courier for screenwriters Dean Cavanagh and Irvine Welsh.  What’s worse is that the role is a waste of Waterhouse’s talent, although her charm never wavers.

McGee is portrayed by scenery-chewing performances from Leo Flanagan (as a rebellious teen who gravitates towards extreme genres) and Ewen Bremner (reuniting the star with Trainspotting novelist Welsh).  Casting Bremner is an inspired choice, as the actor often throws himself deep into a part, but the role’s age range couldn’t be more miscast.  Moran assigns Bremner to portray Alan during younger years that only provokes memories of when Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story made fun of this type of acting.  Bremner settles decently into McGee’s mature years as the music industry mogul struggles with addiction, but this is a performance Bremner could do in his sleep.

Creation Stories captures a lot of moments when people were enamoured and moved by music, but there’s no substance underneath the emotion.  Because of that absence, there isn’t really a case for these characters and results in the film trying its best to hype the audience with high energy.  This would be a fitting choice for a party movie, but it’s awkward when the movie is primarily trying to enlighten and educate.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie