Garage Days (2002)

Wonderful Movie

The Age of Commercialism

Blistering performances.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

GARAGE DAYS (dir. Alex Proyas) A strange film because it's a rock'n'roll movie that does not embrace the clichéd rock'n'roll fairy tale, but aims for just the opposite. GARAGE DAYS is about learning to accept your limitations and struggling with something that is really important regardless of your degree of success. Set in Australia the film has a 'local' feel, although Alex Proyas, the director, makes the film as big in scope as a classic of the rock genre. The perennial romance of rock'n'roll is the belief that a small but influential voice can overcome overwhelming odds and attain massive popularity and success. But the message of GARAGE DAYS is that after all of their struggle, the band members don't come close to fulfilling their rock'n'roll fantasy, but are still satisfied with their lives.

Not as bad as I've been led to believe, but it left me wanting more. The jokes were there (and great at times), the script wasn't bad, the plot has some twists you don't see coming, and the music's excellent. But I found it really hard to get into the characters. I'm not sure whether it was that the characters were poorly developed, or if it was just the actors (whose performance seemed under par at a number of points throughout the film). Lucy in particular seemed to need a lot more work. Worth watching to make up you're own mind, but if you're ever in the position where you have to choose between watching the movie and listening to the soundtrack; I say go for the soundtrack.Or just watch Looking for Alibrandi. Same kind of feel, but a better movie in my opinion (and again with a pretty good soundtrack).

GARAGE DAYS (2 outta 5 stars) I suppose every rock music fan who doesn't actually join a band wants to write about how cool it *would* be to join one. Thankfully, not all of them succumb to the temptation. Unfortunately, all too many of these paeans to this imagined "coolness" are foisted off on unsuspecting movie-goers (or book readers). Practically every one of these "tributes to the spirit of rock and roll" is exactly the same story. The hero is a nice guy who devotes his whole life to the band (most likely the alter ego of the author). There is a wild and crazy drummer (most likely patterned after "Animal" from "The Muppet Show") who likes to drink and/or take drugs. There is the band's second-in-command who gets jealous, thinking that the hero is taking advantage of him (though of course the hero would *never* be that despicable). There is a chick in the band, too... every fictional rock band has to have a token chick in it... who sleeps with at least one male member before the story ends. Then there has to be the slightly inept manager who keeps making funny mistakes (like sending the band to the wrong gig) and gets the major blame for the band's lack of success... but, when all is said and done, gosh darn it, he was there from the beginning and he's as much a part of the band as anyone so they can't just boot him out. Find all these clichés and MORE in this by-the-numbers effort by talented director Alex ("The Crow", "Dark City")Proyas. About the only thing this movie has going for it is a nice selection of songs on the soundtrack. There are lots of wild, flashy camera tricks and needless SFX... but all they signify is that Proyas saw "Trainspotting", too. The most annoying thing about this movie is that it's big punchline (when the band finally does get its big break we find out that the band really *does* suck) is given away in the advertising taglines on the posters and the DVD covers: "What if you finally got your big break and you just plain sucked?" The one original moment in the movie and they give it away in the advertising. No wonder this movie never got a theatrical release to speak of.

I liked this movie. The plot is as old as the hills, only it didn't end the way I guessed (and I like that). Also there is a twist that I didn't see coming. The movie tells the story of a band that starts before their first gig. There are the usual inner-band romances going on and the kooky over weight manager/roadie tossed in for fun (see "Rock Star" or "Still Crazy"). The have to raise $1200 at one point (insert usual odd ways they do that here). There is the usual big concert at the end. Blah Blah Blah. BUT I liked this movie. Why? The ending was real, the sound track is great (I'm 41 what can I say), there were some twists to the plot I didn't see coming and the even though it's a tired old plot, it's a tired old plot for a reason: It's a good one. 7/10