Review of Fame (1978) by Johnny T — 15 Jan 2012

Alan Parker has come up with an exposure for some of the most talented youngsters seen on screen in years. There isn't a bad performance in the lot. "Fame" is a genuine treasure, moving and entertaining, a movie that understands being a teenager. Fame is a perfect title for this movie; it establishes an ironic distance between where these kids are now and where they'd like to be someday, and then there's also the haunting suggestion that some of the ones who find fame will be able to handle it, and some will not. Director Alan Parker has reinvented effectively the old musical movie genre of let's put on a show in a way that speaks directly to younger viewers. The idea behind Metro's Fame is that it is supposed to tell the story, via its actors, of New York's venerable High School of Performing Arts. In truth, the educational institution would have none of the project, so producers had to do with second best - the street outside the school.

VERDICT: "High-Quality Stuff" - [Positive Reaction] This is a rating to a movie I view as very entertaining and well made, and definitely worth paying the full price at a theatre to see or own on DVD. It is not perfect, but it is definitely excellent. (Films that are rated 3.5 or 4 stars).