Mystify. Tras el cantante de INXS

Director Richard Lowenstein's tribute to the INXS frontman paints an affectionate, intimate and immersive portrait of a fallen rock star, disentangling him from the tabloid hot air surrounding his 1997 death. Archive footage and new interviews (friends, family, bandmates and lovers, Kylie included) humanise Hutch, giving equal weighting to his charisma, sensitivity and sensual pursuits. But it's the detailed, cumulative effects of a random assault, career crises and family troubles that hit hardest, creating a grim, palpable sense of how trapped he felt on his final night.

A film that doesn't quite provide the insight into its subject that it would like to, and one which has little use for the music other than as a soundtrack. Despite all the interviews with - it feels like - just about everybody around him, the real depths of his personality and his art seem frustratingly out of reach.

A beautiful life lived fully, shared by those closest and dearest to Michael Hutchence and his own personal film collection, thank you to all who shared personal moments in telling his story. Sweet moments shown and a insight into who he was away from the stage - and his love of life .Watched this movie in a room full of silence with the odd tear heard, his brilliance still revered by many, his lyrical genius in writing, an amazing life from bullied teen to loved all over the world then and still now - an extraordinary talented man.

An outstanding documentary about an incredibly talented guy, emotional and heart-breaking and will leave you misty eyed, with footage that will open doors to a person misconstrued, who had the power to mystify, fulfil dreams with plenitude.

I really hope this film gets a cinema release in the UK. Websites state that it is to be aired on the BBC but seeing Hutchence performances on the big screen would be far better. Fingers crossed.

Update Sept 2019. The film is showing as part of the BFI London Film Festival on 5 & 6 October in London. I'm going! :) Details at BFI website.