Mystify is an apt title for this moving biopic of Michael Hutchence, the late singer of Australian rock band INXS. Not only is it the name of one of the biggest hits from 1988 breakout album Kick, it’s also an appropriate description of the man himself. Who was this sensitive, introverted boy who grew into one of the most flamboyant and charismatic frontmen of the late 80s and early 90s? Mystify aims to unravel the mystery, and though it feels like we barely scratch the surface of Hutchence’s persona, it still leaves a warm and empathetic impression of a troubled soul.

Compiled of archive footage from INXS’s many, many global tours, interviews with his cohorts and stacks of home videos made by friends, family, lovers and the man himself, Mystify is teeming with intimate information. Director Lowenstein makes the effective decision to veer away from a talking heads-style documentary as much as possible, letting the images do the lion’s share of the work while contributors narrate over the top. There’s input from three of the four main partners of Hutchence’s life (Michele Bennett, Kylie Minogue and Helena Christensen), which help to paint a vivid picture of a kind, curious and guileless individual governed by the hedonism of himself and others.

Of course, the childlike euphoria and generosity of spirit which Hutchence often displays on camera was countermanded by periods of severe depression. Though the film touches on possible reasons for this (his struggle with the pressures of rock stardom, the successive failures of each of his relationships, creative differences with his bandmates and manager and a particularly traumatic accident in Paris which left him with a fractured skull and an impaired sense of smell), we never really feel like we get a proper sense of his struggles… though that’s perhaps a symptom of the illness itself, rather than the filmmaking. Indeed, the erratic tone of the piece initially seems like a directorial misfire, but later emerges as an effective mirror for Hutchence’s own highs and lows.

One criticism could be that Lowenstein doesn’t ever really get too mired in the murkier details of Hutchence’s life. His dalliances with drug abuse are hinted at but never examined in depth; his bust-ups with bandmates fly under the radar for the most part; his treatment of his love interests is not fully explored. Even a rather bizarre episode where he was taken to the USA with his mother for 18 months as a boy, effectively abandoning his younger brother at the time, is discussed but not fully explained. For a man who boasted such a bad boy image during his life, and who departed this world in such tragic circumstances, he’s portrayed in slightly unconvincingly angelic terms here.

Having said that, Mystify is a great starting place for those unfamiliar with INXS’s work and Hutchence’s life. Dedicated fans might find lots to pour over but little to take away they didn’t already know, although the insights of those who knew him best are sure to go down a treat. All told, it’s a thoughtful and poignant window into the development of one of rock’s most enigmatic icons. Just don’t be surprised if that glass is a little frosted over.