During Lockdown I decided to dig out my video machine to watch tapes that I've not played before. A big fan of the TV show Angel,I was surprised when a family friend gave me a video of a movie starring Glenn Quinn, just after I had dumped the video player in the box, Finding no sign of the title online or DVD, I now felt it was time to count the cost.
View on the film:
At first acting as if he is one of the band, Glenn Quinn gives a stand-out performance as manager Ben, whose initial warmth with the band over a shared ambition to make it to the top, is used by Quinn to grow Ben's ego into being bigger than the band itself.
In what was his 7th credited film/TV role, James Franco gives a very good turn as band member Mike, who Franco wisely holds at the other end of Ben, with Franco having each rise in fame grind Mike down.
Made for VH1 Films (!),future Rocky Balboa/ Creed 1 and 2 producer Charles Winkler takes on directing a tune with cinematographer Robert Steadman,and surprisingly turns away from the glossy style of MTV Films.
Winkler instead hits a more thoughtful note, played in wonderful wide-shots at the front of the stage catching the close bond between fans and band, which Winkler downplays backstage in close-ups on the faces of each band mate struggling with the highs and lows in attempting to build a career on the road.
Whilst the ending is hilariously silly, the screenplay by future The Brave One (2007) co-writers Robert Steadman & Bruce A. Taylor keep the rest of the flick in tune, by crossing the early wide-eyed ambitions of the band,with the hard realities of becoming a big band which confront Ben, who decides to get the band to the top,at any cost.
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