She may not be one of the title characters, but Jodie Comer runs away with “The Bikeriders.”
She plays Kathy, the motorcycle-gang-adjacent girlfriend who’s more than willing to talk about its personnel, relationships and shortcomings. In interviews with a photographer doing a book about the Vandals, she opens up, and isn’t afraid to call out the toughs in her way.
Comer towers, even in quiet moments where she’s sitting in the back of a room.
The photographer (played by Mike Faist) drinks it all in but doesn’t necessarily provide framework for a story.
Austin Butler in a scene from “The Bikeriders,” about a 1960s Midwestern motorcycle club.
That’s where director Jeff Nichols might have needed more context – why is the photographer doing the book, what does he hope to accomplish and why did it take nearly a decade to complete? Details could have explained why he got such access.
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Still, he has Comer and that’s quite enough.
Quickly, we’re thrown into the bars and backroads where the Vandals rule. They’re threatened by rival groups but, thanks to the leadership of Johnny (Tom Hardy) and Benny (Austin Butler), aren’t toppled.
At parties, Nichols humanizes them and brings their story to an understandable level. This isn’t necessarily “Sons of Anarchy,” but it is a hot take on bonding during an era where that didn’t seem possible.
Based on Danny Lyons’ photographic account of a Midwestern gang during the 1960s and ‘70s, “The Bikeriders” is as close to documentary as a fiction film gets. Hardy and Butler give it more than a little Brando/Fonda swagger and show just how comforting – and alarming – a motorcycle gang can be.
While Butler frequently smolders (this is in line with his “Elvis” take on the ‘60s), Hardy more than opens up. His is a raw, fully formed performance that helps explain much.
Younger bikers split with their elders over the narcotic of choice and fail to provide respect to those in charge. The Vietnam War becomes an issue, too.
When the never-ending party threatens to get out of control, the leaders pull back and Butler pulls away. That rocks the Vandals, but it also gives Comer ample opportunity to comment.
When the dust settles (and, yup, this is set during a dusty era), it’s interesting how much is built around wanting to belong.
The visuals (based on Lyons’ photos) are superb; the music is appropriately ideal.
The acting, too, is memorable.
“The Bikeriders” just lacks a reason for the journey. Why focus on them? Because they just were.
Movies in a minute with film critic Bruce Miller
