The read
Audiences rate it 15 points higher than critics do. It runs a compact 1h 12m.
Synopsis
The film is a day in the life of a young artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat, who needs to raise money to reclaim the apartment from which he has been evicted. He wanders the downtown streets carrying a painting he hopes to sell, encountering friends, whose lives (and performances) we peek into.
Ratings
IMDb6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes79%
Metacritic54/100
Audiences rate it 15 points higher than critics do.
32 audience votes
Key crew
- Edo BertoglioDirector
- Glenn O'BrienWriter
- Vincent GalloOriginal Music Composer
Cast
- Jean-Michel BasquiatJean (archive footage)
- Saul WilliamsJean's Narration (voice)
- Anna ShroederBeatrice
- Debbie HarryFairy Godmother
- Giorgio GiomelskyLandlord
- Coati MundiSelf
- Debi MazarPeppermint Lounge Dancer
- George QuinonesGraffiti Artist
- Walter StedingSelf
- Steven BrownSelf - Vocals, Tuxedomoon
- Eszter BalintSelf
- Kid CreoleSelf - Vocals and Guitar, Kid Creole & The Coconuts
Stills
Themes
new york cityartistartanarchic comedy