ALMOST FAMOUS

I wasn’t at all surprised to learn that Cameron Crowe was a precocious, Rolling Stone journalist.  His movies demonstrate the smooth conformity of mainstream music and commercial writing.  They are well crafted, with all the edges safely rounded and the surfaces well polished.  Maybe that’s why I don’t like his work.  I like films (and music) to be balls out, whereas a Crowe film bears a perfectly fitting, regulation, protective cup.  He might try something  innovative, but never anything provocative or exciting.  I’ve never been stimulated in any way by his work. You’ll find his musical counterparts on the cover of Rolling Stone: Limp Biskit, Britney, the Foo Fighters.  Crowe is cinema’s answer to Time, CNN and straight “A” students.  Show me the fucking door.

Ok, ok, that’s a bit harsh.  I’ve never actively disliked a Crowe film while I was watching it.  But that’s also the point–there’s not much to grab onto either way.  Take Almost Famous; I could tear into it for it’s uncritical acceptance of the mainstream music industry, but the film’s done from the perspective of a 15 year old, and at that age I had similar attitudes.  Plus it focuses on a struggling, earnest band, not some manufactured phenomenon.  Plus the film gives lip service to the kinds of objections I would make via the character of…  UUGGHHH!  All that’s left is a story about how fun it is to be a rock star and how that mirrors the excitement of teenage discovery.  Big fucking deal.  It’s like Frank Capra light. But cornier. And, of course, very nicely done.

DVD

This Disc has a lot of special features, but I haven’t seen any of them.

• Film Overall 5
• Direction 5
• Acting 5
• Story 5
• DVD Goodies: Mucho