The rebellious and youthful spirit of the ’60s was defined by sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Brian Jones, one of the founding members and former guitarist of the world-famous rock band The Rolling Stones, embodied all three of these things. But on July 3, 1969, he was found dead in his swimming pool.
It is this incident – and the months before his untimely and mysterious end – that are the focus of the film “Stoned.”
Jones (played by Leo Gregory) was as eccentric as he was talented. He was not only flamboyantly fashionable, but a womanizing boozer and a brilliant blues guitarist. Considered a “loose cannon” by the other members of the rest of the Stones, Jones was eventually fired and retreated to his mansion in the English countryside. He thought the place could use a few repairs, so his road manager and friend Tom Keylock (David Morrissey) hired builder Frank Thorogood (Paddy Considine) to do the job.
Frank soon becomes entangled in Jones’ web of games and substance abuse after tasting the glamorous and decadent rock star lifestyle and shares in some of Jones’ misadventures with women, drugs and alcohol.
Ultimately, the events that led to Jones’ demise unfold intermittently between flashbacks and the sequential storytelling.
Long-time producer and first-time director Stephen Woolley spent 10 years researching the mysterious circumstances surrounding Jones’ death. He said that he and the screenwriters struggled to make the film authentic by staying true to the events.
The erratic and unpredictable structure of the film fits nicely with the short and fast life of Jones. Jones’ story is told through a collection of flashbacks and montages of his drug and alcohol-induced sexual experimentation.
In the carefree and experimental spirit of the ’60s, Jones proclaimed at one point in the movie, “It’s our party, we can do whatever we want.”
The movie is a decadent depiction of dangerous experiments in drugs and sex. Speaking of sex, viewers should be warned that this film is not rated by the MPAA and contains an excessive amount of male full-frontal nudity.
Instead of The Rolling Stones’ hits accompanying the film, the score is a mix of old and modern blues songs, as well as some psychedelic throwbacks. The blues-infused soundtrack mirrors Jones’s own taste in music. It was said that Jones resented the Stones for turning “pop” in their later years, while he remained faithful to rhythm and blues.
Of course there are many challenges that come with telling the story of such an iconic rock legend and The Rolling Stones.
Casting is an obvious limitation, as the actors must, at the very least, resemble their famous counterparts. While Gregory did resemble Jones, his performance was very one dimensional and failed to convincingly convey the many sides of Jones’ personality. On the other hand, Morrissey’s portrayal of Keylock was engaging and believable.
Overall, “Stoned” is an entertaining film that sheds some light on what may have really happened to the music legend.
– ‘Stoned’ is currently playing in a limited engagement until Thursday at the Ken Cinema in North Park. For more information and show times, call 619-819-0236.
