54

Directed by Mark Christopher, 54 follows Ryan Phillippe’s ambitious and wide-eyed Shane O’Shea as he eagerly joins the staff at New York City’s famed Studio 54. It’s familiar subject matter that’s employed to almost passable yet predominantly disappointing effect by Christopher, as the filmmaker, armed with his own screenplay, delivers a perpetually bland drama that contains, at its core, a hopelessly generic (and thoroughly uninteresting) central character – with Phillippe’s lifeless efforts and a recurring emphasis on Shane’s less-than-engrossing melodramatic exploits exacerbating the lackluster feel. There’s little doubt, then, that 54‘s periodically watchable vibe is due primarily to Mike Myers’ engrossing, electrifying turn as Studio 54’s head honcho, Steve Rubell, and it’s clear that the movie is at its best when focused on Rubell’s oddball, petulant antics – including (and especially) his ongoing confrontations with the various men and woman under his employ. The end result is a somewhat misguided piece of work that’s rarely, if ever, as propulsive or stylish as its subject matter might’ve indicated, with Myers’ top-flight performance remaining a continuing bright spot within an otherwise underwhelming endeavor.

** out of ****