Being of a certain age, Michael Hutchence was more known to me as a celebrity embroiled in a scandalous affair than as a musician. Growing up, it was one of the first times I remember the media being obsessed with a celebrity couple. His relationship with Paula Yates dominated the news, up until his death. In the years since I came to know his music, but never the story behind the man. Songs such as Need You Tonight, Suicide Blonde, and Never Tear Us Apart would become regular visits on playlists, but it wasn’t until Mystify: Michael Hutchence that a greater understanding and appreciation of the man came about.
Image provided by Dogwoof – Credit: Andrew De Groot
Assembled by Richard Lowenstein, this documentary is very much a personal journey for the director, having previously directed the singer in the 1986 film Dogs in Space. Lowenstein has created a narrative-driven by audio interviews of those that knew Hutchence, set against pictures and a wealth of video footage shot by Hutchence himself. This allows for a delicately conflicting view into Hutchence’s psyche and life as we see things through his eyes while hearing the stories and opinions of those close to him.
Unlike many documentaries that chart the rise and fall of musicians, this is more of a character study, taking us from Hutchence’s complex childhood and relationship with his parents and brother, through to his rise to fame, and very intimate and heartfelt scenes of him with past loves such as Kylie Minogue and Helena Christensen. The two accounts given by these two give a rare and tragic look into the life of Hutchence while also portraying a fragile and sympathetic soul.
Along the way, there are fascinating looks at mental health, especially with the revelation of brain damage sustained by Hutchence, and his resulting loss of smell. It’s an interesting angle which adds a deeper level of understanding to the musician, and Lowenstein cleverly edits together different accounts showing how hard it is to truly understand someone as they hide portions of their life, and how stories can be altered, ignored, and misinterpreted. Many films build up tension, but Mystify does it hand in hand with sadness.
With so much to cover – as there always is when documenting someone’s life – there are moments when Lowenstein almost lets the film get away from him. Structurally, it does feel as though too much time is spent on Hutchence’s early life, while the more tumultuous events in his later life start hurtling by at an incredible pace. This does benefit the pacing, but also feels you wishing there has been more focus around the events as fame meets paparazzi scrutiny, and so forth.
But despite that, Mystify utilises a plethora of rare and intimate footage to explore a tragic tale in a sympathetic and eye-opening way. It gets to the core of its subject and should prove fascinating for those with an interest in music, mental health, fame, and the media.
Mystify: Michael Hutchence is released on 16th October.
