Review of Almost Famous (2000) by Michael Y — 04 Nov 2011

There's a deep, poetic drama inside Almost Famous that speaks to everyone. Cameron Crowe's coming of age, rock and roll tale is one that'll touch your inner rock star, and your heart.

William Miller is not your average teenager. William is not cool. 2 years younger than his graduating class and living under the roof of his strict mother, his sister's rebellious influence leads him to be a writer for the local rock magazine. He is hired by Rolling Stone Magazine to write about the up and coming band, Stillwater. But his most specified warning becomes his greatest life experience: He becomes friends with the band. Everyone loves coming of age movies. They speak to us and reminds us of our younger years. Almost Famous is that journey we all wish we had took. It's about the music, and what's behind the music. Rock and roll is the most honest and expressive form of music, yet, we see the unhonest lives of the characters, and our main character observing their rise and fall. The image of music is no greater symbolized than Kate Hudson's character, Penny Lane. Penny brings out the raw emotion and inspiration that music brings out of us, whether you're in a band or just love the tunes, and she is used and abused and exploited like a rising band would do to their music. But she's still there. Almost Famous is like an epic journey through rock and role, and it's a wonderful and touching character drama about truth, identity, and family, and of that little kid inside of us who, all of a sudden, becomes cool.

Cameron Crowe's directorial eye brings the world another great drama. Crowe shoots exactly what is needed. What we NEED to see (and sometimes what we don't need to see) to get that emotional impact just right. Crowe paces this beautiful movie just right, taking it slow and never worrying where it might go. The cinematogrpahy is just right, capturing just the right image and making it all the more powerful with just the right use of lighting. The use of lighting is soft, warm, comfortable and natural, as if it tries to capture that light in the morning sun. What's even better is the editing in this movie. Taking the wonderful shots and mixing the wonderful music to create only the most personal of moments out of the most regular. What we see the band do, they do on a regular basis. But from the perspective of William, each moment is magical, and the Oscar nominated editing brings that out beautifully. And the production of this movie is spectacular, really bringing the '70s alive, not just through the music, but the fashion, the sets, and the entire world is one wonderful retro ride into a great decade. Oh, did I also mention that the soundtrack will make you jizz yourself? No? Well it will. One of the best soundtracks you'll ever hear in a movie.

Almost Famous is a wonderful, emotional, and fun journey through fame, money, women, and music. But its the people in this movie that matter, no matter how they are seen or treated, we know that they are important. This is an epic tale of identity that will get to you in a personal way. So you don't want to pass up this exraordinary tale about the heart of good music.

P.s. Highly recommend watching the extended Director's Cut for the best movie watching experience.