On A List of Movie Reviews

(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)


Almost Famous (2000)

Rate: 5
Viewed: 8/20

AlmostF
8/20: An overrated movie on many levels with toned-down content, Almost Famous sinks in a rock 'n' roll vat of saccharine crap.

For two hours, Cameron Crowe goes full-on in his delivery of cutesy bullshit just to make everything be "it's all good" harmless fun. Well, what I saw is wannabe morons interested in being effortlessly cool while pretending to be in the "moment." At the same time, the 70's feel is never accurately captured.

Listening to the band members of Stillwater, I can't help but feel there were more intelligent musicians during the late 60's and early 70's. The frontman of The Doors, Jim Morrison, was certainly one of them, and he was the epitome of cool. But Russell Hammond? Boy, he has the intellectual depth of a shot glass while possessing a constant vacuous look in his eyes.

For the most part, Patrick Fugit isn't bad but overplays the "state of wonder" hand for too long; who can really believe him? The worst character of the film is Penny Lane who's played by Kate Hudson. She's white trash and thus not interesting. In truth, Kate Hudson couldn't have gotten into the showbiz without the help of her mother Goldie Hawn.

The only actor who comes away unscathed is Philip Seymour Hoffman. He's good as Lester Bangs who got sick with the flu during his four-day shoot. I'm somewhat okay with Frances Dormand's performance, but her schtick is already old.

All in all, the industry fed underage young girls to musicians all the time during the 70's, and knowing full well the truth, Cameron Crowe didn't want to admit it, preferring to tell a Disney story of rock 'n' roll fun through Almost Famous.