A Blast from the Past

This is a case where the trailer for BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK gives you the insight you need to wet your appetite for it. Still, I was initially worried that the doco would skate along the surface of the fashion world in way that would not be very satisfying but when I realised that Bill Cunningham was in his eighties and following his obsession and profession on a BICYCLE, I began to focus.

The film shows us a day in the life of this remarkably likeable old man but then manages to get so close to his centre that its almost too much. After decades in the scene in New York, Bill knows just about everyone in the arts world and caps it off with a thorough knowledge of the rich and powerful - its a heady blend of tinsel and tough blended together by a magnificent being. Cunningham we find had started out as a hat maker but closed his shop when he was called up,entering his military career with the same amiable dedication he uses to run his whole life.

Bill Cunningham is the type of character I feel is dissapearing. Despite one moment of almost unbearable insight, I do thank the director Richard Press  for bringing us Bill Cunningham who is, in effect Decency on Wheels. The world needs you Bill.