I watched this movie for the first time 2 years back ..and it was a instant hit with me..i liked the movie immensely..by now you might have guessed that I am a huge rock fan..and you would have guessed right..but for your information this movie is not only for the die hard rock fan..this is a movie about a rock band but the heart of the movie is in its characters…the characters stay in your heart long after you have seen the movie…and the best part of the movie was that none of the sequences or events taking place were not one percent clichéd and is very very original..i noticed that this movie is one of the top 10 movies of the decade by roger ebert..when I saw the movie on the list I was kinda shocked but after all the whole list was strange with lesser known movies like syndoche new York and my Winnipeg making the list..with syndoche taking the coveted number one spot! I haven’t seen these two movies before..and found the movies very beautifully made..whether or not these movies reserves the coveted place given by ebert is debatable though!i was pleased to see almost famous among one of the top 10…but at that time If I would have made a list I probably wouldn’t have included it..so I decided to give it a second watch!and guess what its now one of my top 10 movies ever!!this movie is not dependent on its plot,it rather has a very simple one..the main USP is the script..the script does justice to its characters very well..
The movie basically revolves around the lead character William…he is a cute kid..he is 11 years old..his mother played by Frances Mcdormand is a professor,she is strict and wants his son to become a lawyer ..he has a elder sister played by Zooey Deschanel..she is a rebel and can’t take the restrictions imposed on her by her mother..so she decides to leave home to become a stewardess and feels not an inch of love for her mother..on her way out she decides to give all her records to her younger brother ..who is enchanted by them..and falls in love with music..then the movie moves forward 4 years. William is now 15 and will graduate in a year..he writes artices for his college magazine on rock bands..he meets a eminent rock journalist played by another very under rated actor Philip Seymour Hoffman ..he is a flamboyant journalist and is impressed by william and decides to give him an small assignment on black Sabbath..and William decides to turn up for the concert..he wants to get in backstage but is not allowed to…he then meets a lesser known band called Stillwater who helps him get inside..he also meets a few women…the lead guitarist of stillwater is very much impressed by him and invited him to los angeles..rolling stones magazine calls William up to tell him that they have come across few of his articles and whether he has something to write about ..he tells them he has a band called Stillwater to write about..they strike a deal..and from here on the journey of begins..he follows the band on a nationwide tour..and the initial suspiciousness gives way to a free and friendly behavior…he shares a wonderful chemistry with the lead guitarist of the band..his relationship with a band girl is beautifully potrayed…at the meantime his mother is very apprehensive about her child…she tries to convince him to return from the world of drugs,women and rock and roll..but fails miserably..one conversation which needs a special mention is the conversation she has with the guitarist..a person of his caliber is shaken by the bittersweet truth told by her!the movie flows on smoothly…see it to experience it!
Another aspect of the movie which I cannot ignore is the use of camera…its used very well!!the concert scenes are photographed brilliantly!
And the place given by ebert is well deserved..the movie may not have a complex plot or well renowned actors .but the thing it has which most movie nowadays lack-it is HEART!!it has the heart and its in the right place!!
