disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

TAURUS -- A Failed Starring Vehicle for Colson Baker

11/18/2022

0 Comments

 
Review by Sean Boelman
Picture
Taurus is the type of film whose existence is merely a gimmick, banking on the popularity of its lead star as a musician to bring the project a higher profile. While it might be an interesting experiment for writer-director Tim Sutton, it fails due to the lack of capability of lead actor Colson Baker (better known as Machine Gun Kelly).

The film follows the final days of a rising star in the music industry as he attempts to find the inspiration to make one last song. It’s a concept that will intrigue many, particularly if you are a fan of Machine Gun Kelly’s music, but it’s done in such a meandering, derivative way that it is difficult to enjoy.

There is also the fact that the film is extraordinarily dour. Granted, Baker’s public persona is all  about being unhinged, but that personality is not something that an entire feature film should be built around. Sutton takes the film entirely seriously, rather than making it a satire, and that was maybe the biggest mistake he could have made.

Baker is playing a character that is obviously not too far from home here — a disillusioned rockstar soul-searching for inspiration — but that feeling of authenticity does not necessarily equal a good performance. There is very little emotion to Baker’s delivery, and as such, it’s really difficult to connect with the character.
Picture
It would be nice if the character were written with any significant depth, but this is yet another story of a tortured artist. Sutton’s attempts to do something more ambitious with the script and create an almost dreamscape-like feel does not help, as it begins to feel frustratingly ambiguous at points.

However, perhaps the worst thing about the film is that it seems to think it is brilliant and profound, yet it has nothing new to add to the conversation about fame. This is a cautionary tale the likes of which we have seen hundreds of times before, and the only thing that makes it unique is the gimmick of having Baker play a character similar to himself.

It's a shame, because there are some genuinely interesting ideas happening here creatively. The cinematography and atmosphere are immersive and well-crafted, drawing us into the world of the protagonist. And the soundtrack, featuring music by MGK, is pretty solid too (if you are a fan of his music, of course).

Taurus is ultimately a gigantic waste of time. As a starring vehicle for Baker, it can get a bit of slack because he does fit the role perfectly. However, he simply does not have the charisma or star power to carry a film on his own — at least not yet.

Taurus is now in theaters and on VOD.

​Rating: 1.5/5
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Allison Brown
    Borja Izuzquiz
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Daniel Lima
    Dan Skip Allen
    Erin M. Brady
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About