FAME - REVIEW
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Director: Kevin Tancharoen
Cast: Kay Panabaker,Walter Perez, Naturi Naughton, Asher Book, Charles S. Dutton, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally
Rating: ****
There are so many films about dancing singing and music that have come before this remake of Fame. Incidentally they may have been inspired by the original film, so we have perhaps come full circle.
So much has been said about the original film, so it's important to note that the revamped version is far removed from the original. This difference makes it easier to focus on the feature at hand.
Jenny, Victor Denise and Marco are all students of the New York Academy of Performing Arts. They each are keen to succeed and forge their own paths and relish in their achievements. We follow our students from Audition Day to their final Graduation and the highlights and lowlights of their 4 long years are compressed into about 100 minutes of screen time.
Some interesting avenues were explored and the usual ethnic diversity was present. At one point though this reviewer was thinking that this remake was focusing on a particular ethnic minority, however this was not the case and the vast populous was appeased with a broad range of minorities included.
The cinematography was well done and a certain "vintage look" was applied to the look of each scene, with the style sitting somewhere between doco and concert movie.
It was nice to see some original cast members returning. They all contributed to the advancement of the plot and though their inclusion in the cast may seem trivial, it's good to see they are humbled enough to return to what help make them famous. This reviewer is also a fan of Frasier so seeing Frasier and Lilith in something again was also quite nice.
My main criticism is that with so much ground to cover and very little screen time to do it any, some very promising subplots went undiscovered which took some meat out of the story.
Each performer was excellent to watch in their particular expertise, and this reviewer has a particular passion for music and acting with some experience in the field so it was somewhat inspiring to watch lives be moulded and shaped into the realisation of lifelong dreams.
The downside of passion is how you deal with disappointment and the expectant paths of coping are displayed here, though the movies rating prevents any serious exploration into the dark paths of disappointment.
Altogether this film is an upbeat revamp and a thrilling assault on the senses.A family movie that appeals to the youth whilst recapturing it for the parents. Remember it's name.
Interview with Naturi Naughton and Asher Book:
Cinema Rat
Rat Chat
Yes Nic, I love this genre, and my music and theatre background won't tire of these sort of films. I would have enjoyed a fleshed out version.
the Hollywood vehicle may take over and produce a sequel. I'd watch it. I Discarding any sentiments about the original, this film stands up alone. A worthy watch for a new generation of promising young talents among us.
Look forward to hearing from you again
Cheers
-CR