NEW YORK DOLL

Few musicians--heck, few people have undergone as radical a transformation as Arthur "Killer" Kane. In the early '70s, he was the bassist for the New York Dolls, a thunderously influential (but never commercially successful) cross-dressing glam rock outfit. Thirty years later, following a long descent into obscurity, alcoholism and recovery, he's a balding, soft spoken Mormon living in California and working as an aide for the religion's Living History Center. NEW YORK DOLL follows Arthur as he reunites with his remaining living band mates for a London music festival in 2004, and it's fascinating to watch him get this rare second chance to be a rock star, if just for one night.

Director Greg Whiteley never condescends or makes fun of Arthur's new lifestyle, and he lets the contrast between the present and the past speak for itself. While I wish he probed a little deeper into why Arthur made such an unlikely religious conversion, you never doubt the sincerity of the man's newfound faith. If you don't know what became of Arthur following the reunion concert, it's best to go into the film not knowing, for it recasts everything in a different light. (4/5)