Dennis Hopper, Benecio Del Torro, Geofrey Wright, David Bowie, Willam DeFoe, etc. I don't think either the film or the artist were that special, so why can't I forget either?

incredible. still my all time favorite Benicio Del Toro role. Bowie here remains the best ignorant art screen Warhol ever, and his sidekick Dennis Hopper is perfectly toady. arguably in this context Jeff Wright was a better Basquiat than Basquiat himself. Gary Oldman is also very memorable. Maybe Dafoe wasn't fully employed but it was a glorified cameo, and other cameos by Vince Gallo, Christopher Walken, Courtney Love and the like were perfect spices.this is not a serious movie people. it's a very tasteful loving joke by some of the folks who knew Basquiat. it's not high art like Basquiat himself, but then Downtown 81 isn't altogether as amusingly crafted as this is. It's all round fun in nearly the vein of Royal Tannenbaums except halfway true

Instead the makers of this movie just give glimpses of his life and merely suggest a whole lot more, and this works well. It's a movie that goes along more at a stroll than a run, and grows in stature and depth as it does so.But, the 'problem' if you can call it that, with 'Basquiat' is that you need to know this man's art, and this man's character to really enjoy and appreciate this movie. And that's why I think it maybe doesn't get the sympathetic reviews or attention it deserves. If you didn't know about this man's life before seeing the movie, then I don't know what you could take from the film. And if you watch it without knowing about him and his art, then I can imagine it wouldn't really hit the mark.What makes this movie beautiful in it's subtlety is that it does great justice to the wonderful talent and nature of Jean Michel Basquiat. And if you love his art, then do watch this movie, it's well worth it. 9/10

his life as glamorous, indeed once he has "made it" we still see him dining at Lutece, people critiquing, being unaccepting of him as a person. Perhaps in real life this was one of the sources of his insecurities, and reason for his drug addiction. Certainly, if one believes even half of what is written about the NY art world- it cannot have been a forgiving place.That aside, the film also has some interesting cameos, David Bowie as Warhol is excellent, Dennis Hopper as the Zurich art dealer, Bruno Bischofsburger is very believable. An amusing cameo with Christopher Walken as a James Lipton character; a pretentious interviewer. The only annoying performance was Parker Posey, as gallery owner Mary Boone, who perhaps portrayed this person too close to the mark.Keeping in mind that Basquiat was under age 30 when he died, this story is credible. An artist who rose too fast, was used and discarded- apparently in real life Basquiat had a tendency to be generous, and gave away many of his paintings. There is one scene where he is beaten up so two street people can take steal a "SAMO" inscription on a piece of metal.The visuals are also noteworthy, while an earlier review critiqued the surfboarding sequence, I find that a preferable segue to Basquiat's need to escape; apparently he owned a good deal of property in Hawai'i and spent time there as well.The scenes with Claire Forlani are also effective, Basquiat's some-time girlfriend, we see her as a waitress, then a junkie, then a cleaned-up version, going to Columbia. The NY street sequences are realistic, It is not glamorous though the accompanying jazz music is . It shows the schizophrenic nature of NY; Lutece, a homeless person sleeping outside, a man selling stuffed animals on the street, and Bruno Bischofsberger Hopper who mistakes Basquiat for a homeless person, trying to clean the windows on his Mercedes. Very realistic.I highly recommend this film; it does not glamorize the story, and while it may not be completely accurate, it rings true, and portrays a life many artists may wish for, until they get it. 9/10

Wright was good in the title role. The supporting cast were all first-rate as well.

appeared in a photo with Basquiat, but he did not respect the man. And "Basquiat" shows that. The next time that you see any work of art, just remember what possibly went in to making it.

but the characters they portray are fun and convincing...and that goes for everyone. David Bowie as Andy Warhol is truly magnificent, and supposedly the most realistic depiction of him to date. Jeffrey Wright displays his talents by showing us a drug addict who is close to the edge, but also extremely talented and eccentric at the same time. And of course Gary Oldman is a god, but here his part is fairly small considering what he's capable of and his character is much more mild than usual. I like him when he's skinning babies or going on murderous rampages. Even though his part isn't the most memorable in the world, he still does an excellent job as usual. Oh yeah, one more thing, Courtney Love needs to die. Her appearance in movies mystifies me more than Keanu Reeves'. We should sick Gary Oldman on her. Send me a PM if you know how to contact him.I guess some would call Basquiat an artsy-fartsy film as it is filled with music and video images that speak metaphorically to the viewer and appear quite frequently throughout the film. One good example in particular of these metaphorical videos/images occurs right before the credits start to roll and is probably the most controversial of all of them in the film. People are either going to think it's really lame and unnecessary, or it's going to really make the movie for them...not much room in between. For me, I really liked it but I can also see how some people wouldn't. The music and images help to give a surrealistic feel to the movie, after all, what happened to Basquiat was quite surreal at times. A sad film about the life of a great artist, filled with excellent actors and a lot of imagery and symbolism. I suspect if I were an art student or someone who knew a little more about Basquiat and his life, my opinion might be a little more discerning. But just from a movie standpoint, it's pretty damn good. Not for everyone, but for those who will enjoy it, they'll enjoy it quite well.

Oldman, Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper are all great in supporting roles, and Jeffrey Wright shows his acting abilities with a solid performance as Basquait. There is one particular scene between Wright and Walken, which was great, Walken's only scene here is great though, both have good chemistry. The film is boring at times, but if you give it time it pays off, not the best direction or screenplay, but it is indeed enjoyable due to great performances and a wonderful story. 8/10 #247 on my list of all time favorite films.