/// content warning re suicide ///
Mystify: Michael Hutchence is, of course, the story of Australian singer Michael Hutchence. I suspect there’s two types of people who will see it; fans of Michael and INXS those with more of a passing interest. I fall into the latter category but the friend I saw a preview of this with falls into the former so happily we can cover all bases.
Michael Hutchence is best known as the lead singer of the Australian rock band INXS who were formed in the late 1970s and had international success in the mid 1980s and early 1990s. This documentary is a fascinating, sensitive, well-crafted and, I think, honest portrayal of a charismatic and complex man. I really loved this film and my friend, the fan, loved it too.
Michael died by suicide in 1997 and the film does explore this and in fact contains a significant revelation about something that happened to him that caused or perhaps exacerbated depression and ultimately led to him taking his own life. (More on that here.) At the risk of stating the obvious, it’s very sad but it’s important to say that it’s discussed in a sensitive and respectful way.
The film maker Richard Lowenstein has interviewed a number of Michael’s family members, romantic partners, friends and professional collaborators to create a full picture of the man. Two of his high-profile former partners Helena Christensen and Kylie Minogue speak more extensively than ever before about him and his relationship with Paula Yates is also explored. The voices of all these people in Hutchence’s world are heard but their faces are not seen, with Lowenstein often preferring to use footage of Hutchence and INXS on stage throughout the film to remind us how charismatic Hutchence was. Some home-movie style footage is also included to powerful effect.
My friend the fan really loved the film and was very moved by it. I’d recommend not opening, as I did, with “I liked it way more than I expected to!”* when you commence debriefing with someone who is similarly moved. Try something a little more sensitive and subtle, I guess. *sigh*
Here’s a review in Variety magazine if you’d like to read more about this one.
Mystify: Michael Hutchence opens on 4 July. Trailer here.
PS. If you’re a fan of Michael Hutchence, I’d recommend listening to episode 61 of the Sun Sessions podcast produced by The Sun Theatre in Yarraville. My friend Kris is one of the co-hosts and she’s interviewed Richard Lowenstein about the film and it was a fascinating add-on to the experience of seeing the film.
*The only reason I wasn’t expecting to like it so much is because I wasn’t really very familiar with Hutchence before I saw the film.