Written, directed, and co-starring Zoe Lister-Jones, Band Aid is the story of a married couple who decide to form a band as a way to channel their frustrations with each other into music. The film is a look into a marriage that is on the verge of disintegration where two people decide to make an attempt to save the marriage through playing music. Also starring Adam Pally, Brooklyn Decker, Susie Essman, Hannah Simone, Retta, Ravi Patel, and Fred Armisen. Band Aid is a witty and whimsical film from Zoe Lister-Jones.
The film follows a couple whose constant arguments and frustration towards one another is leading them to a divorce until they find their musical instruments in a garage where they form a band in a last-ditch effort to save their marriage. It’s a film with a simple premise as it relates to this couple in Anna (Zoe Lister-Jones) and Ben (Adam Pally) whose marriage is in a slump as they tried everything as their professional lives hasn’t made them any happier either. During a birthday party for the child of friends, Anna and Ben find themselves playing instruments as it gave them a bit of joy as they seek out their old musical instruments and form a band with their neighbor Dave (Fred Armisen) as a way to play out their frustrations toward one another. Lister-Jones’ screenplay does showcase Anna and Ben dealing with their frustrations toward each other and the fact that they’re still dealing with a bigger issue that they haven’t really touched upon.
Especially as Anna’s attempt to be a successful writer has failed forcing her to drive for Uber while Ben’s own artistic pursuits has also floundered forcing him to make logos for corporate companies. The sudden re-interest towards music has them figuring some stuff out as they create songs about their own troubles as it play into the two sorting out their issues. Even as they would get better musically and personally with Dave’s help on drums but there are still some troubling aspects about their own faults that would come.
Lister-Jones’ direction is quite straightforward in terms of the compositions and setting as it is largely shot in California with its beaches and suburban areas. While there’s some wide shots in the film for the location, much of Lister-Jones’ direction involve more intimate shots in the close-ups and medium shots to get a scope of having the entire band in the frame as well as in a few of the performances. Much of Lister-Jones’ direction play into some offbeat humor as it relates to the musical performances as well as Anna and Ben coping with their own issues. The third act as it relates to some of the anxieties they would have in their own faults and failures in the past. It would be dramatic as Lister-Jones’ direction of an argument is told in one long take with a tracking shot as it help play into the intensity of the argument as well as an issue that they haven’t really confronted that is the source of their frustration. It would play into the two confronting this source of anger and frustration individually as well as question whether their marriage can be saved and if music can do that for them. Overall, Lister-Jones creates a compelling yet lively film about a floundering couple playing music in an attempt to save their marriage.
Cinematographer Hillary Spera does excellent work with the film’s cinematography for the natural sunny look of the daytime exteriors as well as some unique lighting for the interior/exterior scenes at night including the bar where the open mic nights happen. Editor Libby Cuenin does brilliant work with the editing as it has elements of jump-cuts but is mainly straightforward to play into the music as well as some of the film’s humor. Production designer Hillary Gurtler and set decorator Erin Eskila do fantastic work with the look of Anna and Ben’s home including their garage as well as the more spacious home of Dave.
Costume designer Sarah Fleming does nice work with the costumes as it is largely casual with some stylish clothing that Anna and Ben wear during their live performances to a small audience. Sound editor Penny Harold does superb work with the sound as it play into the way the music sounds as well as the other natural elements in the various locations in the film. The film’s music by Lucius is terrific for its low-key mixture of dreamy electronic music and indie folk sounds with other similar musical styles provided by music supervisor Alison Rosenfeld that include original songs written by Zoe Lister-Jones and Kyle Forester along with Adam Pally on a few songs that are performed by Lister-Jones, Pally, and Armisen as its mixture of garage-rock and indie give the songs a sense of life and help tell the story as it’s a highlight of the film.
The film’s wonderful ensemble cast include cameo appearances and small roles from comedian Retta as Anna and Ben’s marriage therapist, Brooklyn Decker as a friend at a birthday party where she breastfeeds one of her kids, Chris D’Elia and Colin Hanks as a couple of annoying Uber passengers Anna has to deal with, Erinn Hayes and Jamie Chung as a couple of Fred’s housemates who are recovering sex addicts, Hannah Simone and Ravi Patel as friends of Anna and Ben in their respective roles in Grace and Bobby, and Susie Essman in a terrific one-scene performance as Ben’s mother Shirley who gives Ben advice about marriage and what he has to do as a husband. Fred Armisen is excellent as Dave as Anna and Ben’s neighbor who helps sex addicts as he also plays drums where he copes with Anna and Ben’s troubles as it reminds him of his parents and their divorce.
Finally, there’s the duo of Adam Pally and Zoe Lister-Jones in incredible performances in their respective roles as Ben and Anna. Pally provides that sense of energy of anger and frustration into his role as a man who hates his job as well as do whatever he can to distract himself from the source of his anger. Lister-Jones play into a woman who is emotional and is trying to make sense of her own failures in life as well as the hope to succeed. Pally and Lister-Jones together are a joy to watch in the way they argue as well as channel everything through music as they just have amazing chemistry in the way they play with each other.
Band Aid is a sensational film from Zoe Lister-Jones that features top-notch performances from Lister-Jones, Adam Pally, and Fred Armisen. It’s a film that is very charming as well as being a musical that doesn’t play by the rules thanks in parts to the original songs as it help tells the story of a couple trying to save their marriage through music. In the end, Band Aid is a phenomenal film from Zoe Lister-Jones.
© thevoid99 2018
Based on a story from The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio, The Little Hours is the story of a young man who is taken in by a priest to work at a convent unaware that the nuns are anything but celibate. Written for the screen and directed by Jeff Baena, the film is a bawdy take on Boccaccio’s story as it is set during the middle ages with elements of modern-day humor to explore some of the darkest aspects of faith and how insane things can go. Starring Aubrey Plaza, Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Kate Micucci, Jemima Kirke, Fred Armisen, Molly Shannon, Nick Offerman, Paul Reiser, and John C. Reilly. The Little Hours is a wild and offbeat film from Jeff Baena.
The film follows a convent that is need of a new handyman where its priest takes in a young man that is on the run following a tryst with a nobleman’s wife as he pretends to be a deaf-mute leading to all sorts of trouble. It’s a film where a trio of nuns cope with temptation as they meet this young man who intrigues them as they deal with their own sexual repression and other things. Jeff Baena’s screenplay is quite loose where it play into these situations that are absurd as much of the dialogue in the film is improvised where the characters pretty much get to say things that are more direct and modern rather than take on the language of that period. It’s a format that is unique though it does go overboard at times where it would affect the narrative where it wants to be this raunchy comedy that lives up to the text but also a period piece that is true to the times.
Baena’s direction is very simplistic in terms of its compositions as he doesn’t go into a lot of style as it’s more about dialogue and the setting. Shot on location in the Tuscany area of Italy, Baena does use its mountains and forests as a suitable setting for the film that does create a world that is mysterious but also simpler despite the attitude of some of the characters. While Baena would use some wide shots for a lot of the exteriors and in some of the interiors in some creative compositions. Much of the film is approached more intimately with the close-ups and medium shots that play into the interaction with the characters as well as some of the comedy. Though Baena’s approach to improvisation would hamper the narrative a bit in terms of its pacing and its attempt to be shocking. There is still something that does play true to the text as well as showcase a group of nuns struggling to maintain their vow of chastity in a world that is very repressive. Overall, Baena crafts a witty though uneven film about a trio of nuns who go after a man pretending to be a deaf-mute handyman at a convent.
Cinematographer Quyen Tran does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely straightforward for many of the scenes set in the day as well as the scenes at night with its usage of artificial light and fire. Editor Ryan Brown does nice work in the editing as it’s straightforward to play into the comedy as well as some of the absurd moments in the film. Production designer Susie Mancini and art director Andrew Katz do fantastic work with the look of the sets in many of the interiors for the convents and churches as well as the home of the nobleman. Costume designer Natalie O’Brien does terrific work with the costumes from the look of the nun robes as well as some of the lavish clothes of some of the locals. Sound editor Christopher Barnett does superb work with the sound in capturing some of the chaos that goes in some of the funnier moments as well as the calmness of the exterior locations. The film’s music by Dan Romer is wonderful for its usage of folk-based music of the times with some orchestral music while music supervisor Zach Cowie provide a soundtrack of the music of those times.
The casting by Courtney Bright and Nicole Daniels is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Paul Weitz as a handyman that is verbally-abused by the nuns, Lauren Weedman as the nobleman’s mother that Massetto sleeps with, Jon Garbus and Adam Pally as a couple of inept guards for the nobleman, Paul Reiser as Sister Alessandra’s father who is a patron of the church, Jemima Kirke as Fernanda’s friend Marta who is a real troublemaker, Nick Offerman as the nobleman Lord Bruno who always say very dull things, and Fred Armisen as Bishop Bartolomeo who makes a visit during the film’s third act where he is trying to see what is going on. Molly Shannon is fantastic as Sister Marea as the nun’s leader that is trying to maintain order while John C. Reilly is superb as Father Tommasso as the convent’s head who is trying to help make money for the church while hiring Massetto as the new handyman and have him pretend to be a deaf-mute.
Kate Micucci is excellent as Sister Ginevra as young woman who often says a lot of things that she sees that she feels could trouble things while dealing with her own issues relating to her sexual presence where Micucci would show a very funny moment in her encounter with a drug. Aubrey Plaza is brilliant as Sister Fernanda as a young woman that is just very intense as well as secretive to the point that she’s extremely defensive due to the fact that she is carrying a big secret. Dave Franco is amazing as Massetto as a nobleman’s servant who gets caught sleeping with his master’s wife only to pretend to be a deaf-mute who falls for Sister Alessandra and later be put into some serious shit with the other sisters. Finally, there’s Alison Brie in a remarkable performance as Sister Alessandra as a young nun who copes with loneliness and ponders what her future will be like until she meets and falls for Massetto which she tries to keep as a secret unaware of the chaos that is around her.
The Little Hours is a stellar though flawed film from Jeff Baena. Despite its attempt to provide a more modern approach to the film’s original text and infuse it with 21st Century humor. It’s a film that does provide enough funny moments as well as its exploration of sexual repression in the 14th Century thanks in part to its very talented cast. In the end, The Little Hours is a pretty good film from Jeff Baena.
Related: The Decameron
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by Jake Szymanski and written by Murray Miller, 7 Days in Hell is a mockumentary that revolves around the longest tennis match in the history of the sport between two rivals during 7 days in five sets. The film plays into a rivalry where two very different men do whatever it takes to play the greatest tennis game ever as Andy Samberg and Kit Harington respectively play the rivals Aaron Williams and Charles Poole as the film is narrated by Jon Hamm. Also starring Lena Dunham, Will Forte, June Squibb, Mary Steenburgen, Karen Gillan, Michael Sheen, Soledad O’Brien, Howie Mandel, Filip Hammar, Jim Lampley, Fred Armisen, and David Copperfield along with tennis greats John McEnroe, Chris Evert, and Aaron Williams’ adopted sister Serena Williams. 7 Days in Hell is a raunchy yet hilarious mockumentary from Jake Szymanski.
Wimbledon 2001 featured a first round game between British tennis prodigy Charles Poole and the American bad-boy Aaron Williams as the latter came out of retirement to face the prodigy following a comment on television during a Swedish gay orgy. The film is about the game and what happened in those 7 days where so much was at stake in a first-round match as it involved sex tapes, cocaine, an angry Queen of England, streakers, and all sorts of crazy shit. Yet, it is told in a documentary-style where Williams’ adopted sister Serena is interviewed as well as a few biographers and experts in the sports that talk about Williams and Poole’s respective rise to fame but also the events that would lead to their legendary meeting.
Murray Miller’s script is told in a back-and-forth narrative style about the early lives of Poole and Williams as the latter is described as a reverse version of The Blind Side where a black family take in an orphaned white boy and teach him to play tennis where he would become the sport’s bad boy in the 1990s. In the former, here was a British kid who was forced to learn tennis by his mother (Mary Steenburgen) as he would turn pro at 15 but all of his gift on the court would only make him look dumb and lose a girlfriend who would later become a famous supermodel. At the same time, Poole would have a strange encounter with a famous TV host (Michael Sheen) while Williams’ antics at a Wimbledon in the mid-90s would force him to quit the game and go into a downward spiral. The people who are interviewed range from fashion designers with poor taste, David Copperfield, and all sorts of strange people.
Jake Szymanski’s direction definitely plays into the style of HBO sports documentary with its usage of archival footage and the way people who are interviewed are framed. Much of it is straightforward yet Szymanski does infuse some style as it plays into the antics of Williams with some very strange animation and other things that add to his bad boy persona. There’s also element of spoof and parodies of British TV shows as some of the elements are borrowed from exploits of other players. The tennis matches themselves are shot in a straightforward manner but with an air of ridiculousness that makes it very unbelievable. Overall, Szymanski creates a very silly but hilarious sports mockumentary about two tennis players who played the longest game ever that lasted 7 days.
Cinematographer Craig Kief does excellent work with the cinematography to capture the look of Wimbledon in the day along with some stylish shots of Williams‘ sex-tape and documentary-like footage of Poole in the days leading up to the match. Editors Dan Marks and Pat Bishop does nice work with the editing as it has elements of style with rhythmic cuts and montages. Production designer Todd Jeffrey does fantastic work with the set designs from the Wimbledon tennis courts to the hotel rooms and such where the characters are.
Costume designer Joanna Konjevod does amazing work with the costumes from the clothes that Williams wears including his ball-less underwear. Visual effects supervisor Elliott Jobe does terrific work with some of the minimal visual effects into the look of some of the archival interviews as well as the hilarious Taiwanese animation. Sound designer Zach Seivers does superb work with the sound from some of the sound effects of the tennis matches to some of the craziness that is heard from the crowd.
The casting by Haley Marcus Simpson is brilliant for the people that appear in the film such as tennis legends Chris Evert and John McEnroe, current tennis star Serena Williams as Aaron’s adopted older sister, HBO sports correspondent Jim Lampley, journalist Soledad O’Brien, comedian Filip Hammar, and the magician David Copperfield who all play themselves in very funny ways. Other notable small roles include Lena Dunham as a former Jordache president with very bad taste, Will Forte as Williams’ biographer, Fred Armisen as British tennis expert Edward Pudding, and Howie Mandell in a hilarious performance as Prince Edward, Duke of Kent who would be assaulted by Williams during a ceremony. Karen Gillan is wonderful as Poole’s ex-girlfriend Lily Allsworth as a supermodel who loved Poole when he was young and later had an affair with Williams.
Mary Steenburgen is terrific as Poole’s very neglectful mother Louisa who would force her son to become a tennis prodigy and not have him care about his education and well-being. Michael Sheen is a riot as British TV host Caspian Wint who acts shit-faced on booze and cigarettes while being sexually-attracted towards the then-15 year old Poole. June Squibb is amazing as a foul-mouthed version of Queen Elizabeth II who wants Poole to win as she offers him a knighthood only to get very angry when he is unable to really beat Williams. Finally, there’s the duo of Andy Samberg and Kit Harington in their respective roles as Aaron Williams and Charles Poole. Samberg gets the showy role as the wild bad boy with a mullet as he manages to be a fucking riot with his antics as well as not being afraid to have sex with anyone or anything. Harington plays it straight in the role of Poole which makes it hilarious as Harington sells Poole’s stupidity as well as his poor attempt to sound smart in mispronouncing the world “indelibly”.
7 Days in Hell is an extremely funny sports mockumentary from Jake Szymanski. Featuring a great cast and a hilarious take on the world of tennis, the 45-minute TV special is something fans of tennis will see as well as having the chance to laugh at a sport that is often known for being classy. In the end, 7 Days in Hell is a remarkably hilarious comedy from Jake Szymanski.
Related: Tour de Pharmacy
© thevoid99 2015
Directed by Adam McKay and written by McKay and Will Ferrell, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is the story of a 1970s San Diego news anchor who deals with his new female counterpart. The film explores the world of a man who has a hard time dealing with changing times while is keen on doing things his way as the titular character is played by Will Ferrell. Also starring Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, Steve Carell, and Fred Willard. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is a classy and hilarious film from Adam McKay.
The film is the simple story of an anchorman in Ron Burgundy who always report the news in San Diego with his buddies in field reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), sports reporter Champ Kind (David Koechner), and the dim-witted weather reporter Brick Tamland (Steve Carell). They’re the number one news team in San Diego until Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) comes in as a news reporter and later becoming the co-anchor much to Burgundy’s dismay as he’s also in love with her. It’s a film that plays into a man who has his ways with the ladies and manages to do whatever he wants while is good at telling the news. Yet, he is unable to deal with the fact that a woman could do what he does only better as he later goes to war with her. Even as it would eventually put him into trouble while is forced to come to terms with the fact that times are changing.
The screenplay that Will Ferrell and Adam McKay creates is very loose though it does utilize a traditional three-act structure where the first act is about Burgundy’s success and his good times with his friends while meeting Veronica who becomes his lover though she wants to make it in the world of news. The film’s second act isn’t just about Veronica finally getting what she wants but also Burgundy trying to come to terms with it. It’s third act isn’t just the escalation of the conflict but its aftermath where Burgundy tries to find redemption. Throughout all of these major plot-points and storylines, Ferrell and McKay bring in a lot of clever dialogue into the mix filled with some funny one-liners while adding some complexities to the many characters in the film like Burgundy, Fantana, Corningstone, Kind, and to a lesser extent, Brick.
McKay’s direction is pretty simple as far as the compositions are concerned in the way he creates 1970s San Diego. Yet, he does manage to create moments that are always fun to watch ranging from an animated sequence where Ron and Veronica are riding on unicorns on a rainbow to their first date at a jazz club where Ron plays the flute. McKay does slow things down in order to focus on the story though he would find ways to use the comedy to advance the story or create something that is off-the-wall such as the anchorman brawl involving rival anchormen and their news team. Add a dog named Baxter, bears, and all sorts of strange things. What McKay creates is a very solid and enjoyable comedy that continuously brings in the laughs and more.
Cinematographer Thomas E. Ackerman does excellent work with the film’s colorful and vibrant cinematography from the way San Diego looks in its exteriors to some of the lighting in the nighttime interior scenes. Editor Brent White does fantastic work with the editing with its use of rhythmic cuts to play into much of the film’s humor and dialogue delivery. Production designer Clayton Hartley, with set decorator Jan Pascale and art directors Gregg Davidson and Virginia L. Randolph, does amazing work with the look of the news station and places that Burgundy and his pals hang out and work at.
Costume designer Debra McGuire does great work with the costumes from the suit that Burgundy and his team wear to the clothes that Veronica wears. Hair stylist Joy Zapata and makeup artist Denise Dellaville do fabulous work with the look of the hair and mustaches the men wear to make them look classy. Sound designer Mark A. Mangini and co-sound editor Scott Millan do terrific work with the film‘s sound to play into the atmosphere of the news offices and the parties that Burgundy holds in his home. The film’s music by Alex Wurman is superb where it‘s mostly low-key with its blaring horn-based orchestra as well as the music for the news while music supervisor Todd Homme creates a delightful soundtrack that includes pieces by Neil Diamond, Blues Image, Kansas, Hall & Oates, Isley Brothers, Bill Withers, and an original flute piece by Ferrell who, along with Rudd, Koechner, and Carell do an amazing cover of Afternoon Delight.
The casting by Juel Bestrop and Jeanne McCarthy is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it includes some notable cameo appearances from Danny Trejo as a bartender, Jack Black as a biker whom Burgundy angers, Fred Armisen as the jazz-club owner Tino, Seth Rogen as a cameraman, Missi Pyle as a zookeeper, and Kathryn Hahn as one of the news station workers Helen who would give Veronica a secret to usurp Burgundy. Other notable cameo appearances include Vince Vaughn, Luke Wilson, Tim Robbins, and Ben Stiller as rival news anchors who want to defeat Ron Burgundy. Chris Parnell is terrific as Ed’s assistant Garth Holliday who sees Ron as his hero while Fred Willard is excellent as the news director Ed Harken who tries to make sure everything goes smoothly while dealing with his son’s antics. The dog Peanut is great as Baxter as this dog that can talk to the bears and is Ron Burgundy’s best friend.
David Koechner is superb as the chauvinistic Champ Kind who likes to say “whammy” while hinting that he might be a closeted homosexual. Steve Carell is hilarious as the dim-witted Brick Tamland who says all sorts of funny things not knowing what he’s talking about due to the fact that he has a very low IQ. Paul Rudd is fantastic as Brian Fantana as a ladies’ man who is often full of himself as well as wanting to use the forbidden cologne known as Sex Panther. Christina Applegate is amazing as Veronica Corningstone as a woman who wants to become an anchor and doesn’t want to be stopped by anyone including Burgundy. Finally, there’s Will Ferrell in a remarkable performance as the titular role as this sexist and fun-loving guy who cannot adjust to the changing times as he is conflicted for his love and hate for Veronica.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is a marvelous film from Adam McKay that features a brilliant leading performance from Will Ferrell. The film is truly one of the finest comedies to come out in the 2000s as it is filled with lots of laughs and hijinks that will keep entertaining its audience. In the end, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is a phenomenal film from Adam McKay.
Adam McKay Films: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - Step Brothers - The Other Guys - Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues - The Big Short - (Backseat) - The Auteurs #63: Adam McKay
© thevoid99 2013
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/16/09 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Directed by Peter Cattaneo and screenplay by Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky from a story by Ryan Jafee, The Rocker tells the story of a drummer from a mid-80s glam-metal band who was left behind by his band as his life twenty years later has become one big failure. When his nephew asks him to join his band, the drummer suddenly gets a second chance to live his dream to become a rock star. Starring Rainn Wilson, Christina Applegate, Teddy Geiger, Emma Stone, Josh Gad, Jane Lynch, Jeff Garlin, Will Arnett, Fred Armisen, Bradley Cooper, Howard Hesseman, Demitri Martin, and Jason Sudeikis. The Rocker is a funny, rocking film from Peter Cattaneo and company.
The film is a simple story of a drummer from now very popular metal band called Vesuvius whose life of misery has him moving in with his sister and befriending his nephew who is in a band that needed a drummer. By playing their high school prom gig, he becomes a member of the band with much reluctance from his new bandmates where a notorious Internet clip gets them attention. The band called A.D.D. suddenly becomes famous where one of the band member's mother joins the tour, the band become successful as the drummer called Fish (Rainn Wilson) deals with his new chance as well as the old demons in his past where he is offered the chance to open for his former band.
While the film has elements similar to the 2003 Richard Linklater film School of Rock about an adult wanting to rock with young kids. The film is about a man's unfortunate situations about his old band becoming big as he's left living a life that is mediocre and dull. When he's given a second chance, he is hoping to do all the things he wanted to do as a rock star. Yet, the character of Fish is more than just some guy finally living his dream but someone who really cares about his band mates by helping Curtis (Teddy Geiger) on the directions of the songs, help Amelia (Emma Stone) with her own image, and his nephew Matt (Josh Gadd) in his shyness. While the script does follow certain plot formulas, it's array of humor and love of rock does make it worthwhile.
Director Peter Cattaneo does a fine job with the direction though it's mostly average in terms of compositions and settings. Yet, he does make the film quite energetic and fun while a lot of the film is shot in Toronto with a few locations in Cleveland including the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame museum. For a lot of the performance sequences, Cattaneo succeeds in knowing what to shoot as he gives each actor a chance to shine while showcasing what happens with most big rock concerts once audiences get to see Vesuvius live in the film's climatic ending. Despite some formulaic ideas with the script and lack of fresh ideas, Cattaneo does create a solid film that is funny and entertaining to watch.
Cinematographer Anthony B. Richmond does pretty good work with the film's darkened look with moments of grain in the shoot in order to make the film look a little grimy but also polished. Editor Brad E. Wilhite does a nice job with the film's editing in giving it a nice, leisurely-paced feel while speeding up a bit for some of the film's wilder moments. Production designer Brandt Gordon and set decorator Clive Thomasson does a good job in the look of the clubs, the tour bus, and places that the characters go to. Costume designer Christopher Hargadon does excellent work in the looks of 80s rock star clothing in the film's early sequence along with modern clothes and dresses for Emma Stone. Sound editor Andrew DeCristofaro does very good work with the atmosphere of the rock shows and interaction with the audience.
The music by Chad Fischer is mostly a mixture of melodic-pop and rock as it serves as the songs he created for the fictional band A.D.D., a lot of which are sung by Teddy Geiger. The songs are pretty good while the songs Fischer wrote for the fictional band Vesuvius is reminiscent of 80s hard rock while Geiger and Fischer do a pretty good cover of Poison's Nothin' But A Good Time that works in conveying the spirit of the film.
The casting by Julie Ashton is wonderfully with cameo appearances from the likes of comedy actor Demitri Martin as a pretentious video director, Jane Krakowski as Fish's ex-girlfriend, Howard Hesseman as A.D.D.'s tour bus driver, Lonny Ross as Fish's replacement in Vesuvius, and as Vesuvius, Bradley Cooper, Fred Armisen, and Will Arnett. Another notable cameo that gives the film a bit of humor, though he's only in one scene, is original Beatles drummer Pete Best as a guy in the bus stop reading Rolling Stone. Other notable small roles include Brittany Allen as an A.D.D. fan who has a crush on Matt, Jonathan Malen as A.D.D.'s original drummer, Keir Gilchrist as a drum machine kid, Samantha Weinstein as Matt's sister, and Jon Glaser as Vesuvius' manager are memorable.
Jason Sudeikis is very good as A.D.D.'s scheming manager who tries to get rid of Fish in making the band bigger. Jeff Garlin is funny as Matt's dad who is excited to see Fish be a rock star again while Jane Lynch is really good as Fish's no-nonsense sister despite not given much to do. Josh Gad is great as Fish's nephew and keyboardist Matt who is funny with some of his sleeping antics along with his shyness where he's helped by Emma Stone in a funny kissing scene. Emma Stone is really good as Amelia, the band's nonchalant bassist who rarely smiles while is often grossed out by Fish's antics while displaying a sweet persona to her role. Teddy Geiger is also good as Curtis, the band's brooding lead singer and guitarist who is trying to deal with fame while coming to terms about what making music is really all about.
Christina Applegate is excellent in a wonderful supporting role as Curtis' mother Kim who joins the band on tour after Fish gets in trouble while revealing her own past as a rocker in which she connects with Fish. The film's most fantastic performance truly goes to Rainn Wilson as Fish, the drummer who gets a second chance in living his dream. Wilson's performance is definitely funny in the way he reacts to all things uncool or to his former band while doing lots of dumb things that are very funny. At the same time, Wilson also shows range as an actor in scenes where he helps everyone else as it's definitely a great role for the comedy actor.
While it's not a perfect film, The Rocker is indeed a funny, entertaining film from Peter Cattaneo and company with a hilarious performance from Rainn Wilson. Fans of rock films will no doubt enjoy this film for its music and sense of humor while it also has something that fans of low-brow comedies can enjoy. It may not have the brilliance of films like School of Rock, Almost Famous, or High Fidelity, The Rocker is still a film that is worth watching while letting rock fans rock out.
© thevoid99 2013
