An awesome and ridiculous film that leaves you thrilled beyond the point of your natural endurance
2012
Theatre
The show has suddenly become quite wonderful, and the galvanising factor is the terrific stage debut of Melanie C
Blood Brothers
Music
The British pop music industry may be eating itself but if Muse are the pick of what it can offer the world in 2010 then British music is in rude health indeed
Muse
I was smitten by both Gilberts enormous luxuriant moustache and the intelligence and nuance of this highly entertaining play
I totally recommend Babbo to anyone who is looking for really good and traditional Italian food
Always been a fan but never seen them live. I was ecstatic to be part of this epic event. WOW!
London,
Derek Malcolm's rating
Reader rating
Dir: Peter Cattaneo.
Cast: Rainn Wilson, Teddy Geiger, Emma Stone, Josh Gad, Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, Jon Cor
Description: Rising student band A.D.D. loses its drummer on the eve of the high school prom. Singer-songwriter Curtis and bassist Amelia resign themselves to cancelling the gig but keyboard player Matt has a solution: recruit his slobbish uncle, Robert "Fish" Fishman, one-time drummer of rock supergods Vesuvius, who was famously kicked out of the band and has been in an emotional tailspin ever since. Fish eagerly picks up his sticks and A.D.D. quickly gains popularity, propelling the band members into the spotlight.
Country: US. 2008. 112mins
Monster of rock: Rainn Wilson plays the sacked drummer of an Eighties group who pushes his way into his nephew’s band
Satires on rock ’n’ roll aren’t exactly two-a-penny but we’ve seen enough of them to judge Peter Cattaneo’s movie with a beady eye. The Rocker is certainly not This Is Spinal Tap, but it is fair to moderate entertainment and Rainn Wilson holds it all together energetically as Fish Fishman, a drummer for the Eighties band Vesuvius, who gets chopped and takes a dismal job — but 20 years later persuades ADD, his nephew’s outfit, to try him out again.
Fishman is a fairly comprehensive idiot stuck in the middle of a midlife crisis. He nearly wrecks the new group, who are young enough to be his kids, with his manic displays. When they finally get used to him, he attempts to show them how to tour successfully by throwing television sets out of hotel windows and generally inducting
them into the ways of musicians.
He’s after revenge, since the bandmates who got rid of him are now famous and he holds a grudge against them. That makes the thought of ADD appearing as their support act seem impossible. Then again, if they do, things might finally happen for them — and that’s how it turns out.
The Rocker varies from out and out farce to more gentle, observant comedy and its tone is often as uncertain as its feelgood ending is unlikely.
The farce is the best value — such as the scene when Fish clambers vampire-like onto the van in which Vesuvius are trying to escape from him. Or when, after a successful gig with ADD, Fish embraces each band member in turn, not realising that he’s sweaty enough to make it a ghastly experience.
Wilson — who plays the Gareth character in the American version of The Office — has decent support from Christine Applegate, Jeff Garlin, Josh Gad, Teddy Geiger and Emma Stone. But it is his film.
What prevents the fullest enjoyment is Cattaneo’s attempt to be heart-warming as well as funny, in the manner of The Full Monty.
Pete Best, the Beatles’ first drummer, himself dismissed as the Fab Four were about to achieve superstardom, has a supporting role. Chad Fisher wrote the songs and, for your information, ADD’s style is “kind of like Fountains of Wayne meets Ben Kweller with some influences from The Cars and Weezer”.
Good heavens, I thought it was Bartok!
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Morning:
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