Review of Almost Famous (2000) by Brett C — 10 Oct 2014

Review In A Nutshell:

I knew that eventually I'll find a Cameron Crowe film that I would like. Almost Famous is that film. Cameron Crowe may not be much of an auteur as compared to his peers, particularly if you judge the film on its surface, but if one pushes themselves beyond the veneer that Crowe has created then one would find the genuine truth in his films. Jerry Maguire may not be a reflection of the director's own personal life but one can sense the emotions of some of the key characters within that film are inspired from his own life. Almost Famous takes it one step further by providing a semi-biographical retelling of his experience when he worked for Rolling Stone magazine. Crowe has provided us a glimpse of his past, the people he has met, and the experiences that he went through.

The film's premise is certainly an interesting one, about a 15 year old boy traveling with a band and covering a story on them during their days on tour. Cameron Crowe, who not only directed the film but also wrote the screenplay, has provided the audience with a protagonist, William Miller that does not constantly prove his value to the people around him; there are very few instances that demonstrate the intelligence of the character, especially in regards to music. The film explores aspects of the character that we wouldn't expect from an individual like him; through this not only do we get under the skin of William but also Crowe. Though I personally feel the film is not crawling deep enough on exploring William Miller; there were many portions throughout the film, where Miller's concerns were secondary to the band he was following. I think also due to the fact that William is a slightly tweaked manifestation of Crowe himself, it made him reluctant to have the film place judgement on the character; there were simply not enough moments of the character showing his deeper colors.

I did however enjoy Crowe's ability to draw his audiences in to the world of music that very few know, documenting the hardships and beauty of both the protagonist and the band he follows, Stillwater. Though it takes on an objective, journalistic perspective, it could also be translated to a fan's perspective; showing us the situations, emotions and connection they go through and make during in their commitment to follow them. The film may not get inside the head of Penny Lane's character, which is the band's true fan, but Crowe was able to compensate with the character's relationship with William, which allowed the audience to connect with the character at a deeper level.

The film could have taken a very easy route and dramatize the hell out of its subjects and used that as a sort plot driver for an impacting third act or conclusion, but instead Crowe sets the film in such a way that is unpredictable; he does not set an emotional goal for its characters and lets the audience sit back and just take in new experiences, similar to what William is going through in the film.

Crowe paces the film effectively with sharing focus on multiple subjects, while also never reaching to a point of complete bias. This allowed the film to feel brisk and smooth, flying by its two hours and 42 minutes without a bump or a hiccup. I would not have minded if Crowe would ever decide to add more scenes in its already lengthy running time, as it would have allowed Almost Famous to be as close to Crowe's own personal experience as possible.

Cameron Crowe rallies up a fantastic ensemble cast that provides performances that are of equal praise. Patrick Fugit as William Miller and Billy Crudup as Russell Hammond provided outstanding performances; they were responsible for the film's emotions and were delivered in such a way that never at all felt forced or overly sentimental. Crowe directs them with such precision and emotional charge that it would be difficult to believe that we are watching fictional individuals. Kate Hudson's Penny Lane fuels the film's sense of ambiguity, relying more on her physical rather than her verbal performance; therefore it is required by us, as the audience, to gain our own interpretation of who she really is and the meaning behind her personal relationships. Frances McDormand as the mother of William was also strong, even if her presence is not as prominent as the other three members of the cast. She could have easily played the role with antagonistic drive, but she was able to make her sympathetic, which if the hands of another actress may not be possible, or would be as effective.

Almost Famous is a wonderful film that draws out genuine emotions and interesting stories of an era in music that many may have forgotten or that could only be found in the minds of the people that lived through it; Crowe takes these emotions and experiences and places it on screen for us to also take in. The film could have been executed much better, particularly in the handling of its characters, but that isn't enough from letting me love this film and revisit it in the future. Almost Famous is an almost perfect film.