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Highly
recommended - 5 Beans Out of 5
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I
can think of a hundred reasons why Almost Famous should
be on everyone's top ten movies of 2000 list, but the
one I always come back to has nothing to do with acting
talent or technical merit. It's just a simple feeling,
and it's a good one.
Director Cameron Crowe doesn't seem capable of making
a bad movie (and if you don't believe me, just check
out his other films: Say Anything, Singles, Jerry McGuire
and also the screenplay credits for Fast Times at Ridgemont
High), however he does seem highly capable of using
a potent combination of heartfelt story and great acting
to make you feel real good. The characters in Almost
Famous seem like extensions of Crowe's movie persona
(as cliché as that sounds) and you see him wave these
emotional limbs about with reckless abandon. It's a
coming-of-age movie, fictional rock-umentary, and poignant
drama. Almost Famous captures the whole picture of life
on the road with "the band": the highs, the lows and
everything in between.
Patrick Fugit, in his screen debut, plays William Miller,
the overly-naïve young man through whose impressionable
eyes we see the film. William is living out his dream
of touring and writing for the Rolling Stone magazine
at the tender age of fifteen. The rest of the ensemble
cast is perfectly put together. Billy Crudup puts in
a great performance as the band's troubled leader and
Kate Hudson charms as Penny Lane, the resident groupie.
Top that off with Frances McDormand as the sickeningly
protective mother. A film everyone should see, especially
if you're in one of those feel good moods. |
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