Review of Almost Famous (2000) by Diego T — 21 Apr 2014

Okay, let's begin by saying that there was honestly very little chance that I wasn't going to like this film. Almost Famous is set in the 1970s, a time that (although I never lived in it) I am extremely nostalgic for. Everything about this film, from its humor, its culture, its characters, and its soundtrack are expertly woven together in a film perfectly concocted to work its way into my heart. Seriously... there is a girl named Penny Lane in this movie. Was there the slightest chance that I wasn't going to enjoy myself? If that wasn't good enough, listen to this: Almost Famous stars Patrick Fugit as William, a teenager who adores rock and roll and dreams of one day becoming a music critic. Okay, really? Coming of age story? Rock and roll? WRITING AND CRITIQUING THINGS? Cameron Crowe, stop trying to weave everything I love into movies. It's freaking me out. Honestly though, this movie hits home constantly in a big way for me, so pay my opinion on it no mind. I was pretty easily manipulated by it, so if you want to call it "corny" or "sentimental," be my guest. Although it will always have a special place in my heart due to its subject matter and its great cast.

After meeting his hero (Philip Seymour Hoffman), William gets serious about writing pieces on bands and albums. One such piece is picked up by Hoffman and published, leading to a gig for William at Rolling Stone-they want him to follow the band Stillwater on tour and write a piece on them. On the trip, William encounters sexually liberated groupies who call themselves the "Band-Aids," an egotistical musician who refers to himself as a golden God, and a whole lotta weed. Sounds generic? Not really. This is one of those films that, in synopsis, sounds simplistic, yet once you actually watch it you start to wonder how and why nobody did anything like this before. This film is not just a love letter to the culture of the 70s. It is funny, intelligent, irreverent, and extremely witty.

At times, it seems as though Almost Famous owes more to This Is Spinal Tap than other genre classics such as Dazed and Confused-and it's a good thing too, because if this film had been too openly nostalgic even I would have balked at it. But it skewers the mentality and culture of every aspect of the era it takes place in almost as often as it reflects on them wistfully. There's a whole range of lifestyles caught up here, from the rebellious daughter to the overprotective mother to the disgruntled band member who gets left in the shadows. The exchanges between the members of Stillwater (which, I might remind you, is a very real band) is consistently funny, and reveals everything about rock bands that you always assumed was true. "I work just as hard or harder than anybody on that stage. You know what I do? I connect. I get people off. I look for the guy who isn't getting off, and I make him get off." What does that even mean? Who knows? Who cares? The whole film is such a glorious acid trip that I'm certain the audience won't by the time it's over.

The soundtrack, of course, is consistently good, featuring everything from A to Zeppelin. But although this movie is certainly about music, it's the people who make it great. Often, people will say that a film is only as good as its villain. Well, Almost Famous has no villain-at least in the traditional sense. What makes this film all the more powerful is the looming knowledge in the backs of these character's minds that someday, all of this will have to end through either death or the slow crushing of their dreams. Hell, Hoffman's character prophesies the end of rock and roll within the film's first ten minutes. So perhaps this movie is about the battle against a far more elusive enemy-the slow yet inevitable passage of time. Or, even better, the ever-raging war between the cool and the decidedly uncool. And what's cool about this film is that it KNOWS how cool it is.

Final Score for Almost Famous: 8/10 stars. Yeah, I know... sentimental pick, right? Well, don't chalk it all up to that, because this is a legitimately good movie. I never thought that the dork who directed Jerry Maguire would make a film that I enjoy this much, but it has amazingly happened. And in spectacular fashion, no less. This movie is funny as hell, but it's never forced-it's just hilarious in an easygoing, peaceful, serene way. There's something to be said for a film that you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy, and finish off feeling calm, cool, and collected. And this movie certainly fits that bill.