Review of Almost Famous (2000) by Nicholas T — 07 Jan 2015

I caught the last fifteen minutes of it on VH1 Classic, so I found a copy and watched it from the beginning to get the full effect. I had only seen the first half, before I turned it off. The first half hour seemed to drag on, and I felt it was kind of pretentious. I felt like it wanted a "Dazed & Confused" vibe, that followed multiple perspectives in a coming-of-age drama set in the 1970's. But unlike that movie where the characters got to have fun and be themselves, "Almost Famous" was followed a main character who was watching other people have fun. It wanted to have this "message" about who we are and what rock and roll means to us.

Remember "Rock & Roll High School" where it ends with Joey Ramone blowing up the school? That movie didn't need a message. Sure it wasn't an overly complex plot that bordered on cartoony, but it didn't try to be. It was still funny, engaging and a had an overall theme of teenage rebellion that any generation can relate to.

I may finish the movie another time. It wasn't terrible, but it just couldn't keep my interest.