Review of The School of Rock (2003) by Matthew S — 28 Jul 2015

When it comes to independent cinema, few directors have achieved the status of Richard Linklater, the man responsible of some of the most beloved films of the last two decades like the coming of age film "Dazed & Confused", the experimental but touching "Before" trilogy, the ambitious and universally acclaimed "Boyhood", and the rock comedy "School of Rock".

Dewey Finn is a wash-up rocker who is fired from his band due to his eccentric persona. Unemployed, he decides to pretend to by his roommate and gets a job as a substitute teacher in a respectable and prestigious school. But Dewey lacks knowledge of any assignment but one: Rock music.

"School of Rock" counts with Linklater´s personal directing, surprisingly solid acting with the best being -surprisingly- Jack Black spoofing his over the top persona, one of the best soundtracks of the last decade as it has numerous classic, beloved and unforgettable songs from various iconic bands (some of my favorites are in this soundtrack); the plot is not the most realistic one but it is charming and well written, it has this sweet and innocent style that will make you overlook the flaws, the comedy is hilarious, the character relationships feel genuine, the entertaining and fun values are extremely high, it has some memorable moments, it hits various clichés but the execution is what makes this film work as it focused, fun and charming; the pacing is adequately fast, the dialog at time feels genuine and at others improvised (a risky balanced that screenwriter Mike White marvelously pulled off), and it has one of the most memorable and satisfying endings I've seen in a comedy.

"School of Rock" may not be one of Linklater´s greatest films and it lacks some of his trademark elements, it is one of the most charming, fun and memorable comedies of the 00´s. Sure it is no masterpiece but it plays the right notes for a comedy. It guarantees a fun time due to its hilarious dialog and its phenomenal soundtrack.