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Summary: r.a.m.r. #17838
Keywords: author=king
Author: Greg King
STILL CRAZY (M). (Columbia Tristar) Director: Brian Gibson Stars: Stephen Rea, Jimmy Nail, Billy Connolly, Timothy Spall, Bill Nighy, Juliet Aubrey, Hans Matheson, Helena Bergstrom, Rachel Stirling, Bruce Robinson, Zoe Ball Running time: 96 minutes.
The '90's has seen a resurgence of interest in '70's music, and bands long considered musical dinosaurs have gained a new lease of life. Even many bands that broke up amid acrimony and bitterness, swearing never to reform until hell freezes over, have buried the hatchet to cash in on the nostalgia kick. One such group is (the entirely fictitious) Strange Fruit, a seminal '70's British band, who disbanded after a disastrous show at an outdoor concert in 1978. The members all went their own way, most of them settling into mundane nine to five jobs. Only lead singer Ray (Bill Nighy) has maintained a largely unsuccessful solo career, under the watchful eye of his domineering and fiery Scandinavian wife Astrid (Helena Bergstrom).
Tired of refilling condom vending machines on the Spanish peninsula, former keyboard player Tony Costello (Stephen Rea) has the idea to reform the band for a twenty year reunion tour. He tracks down the other members of the band and brings them together for the first time in two decades. Guitarist Les (Jimmy Nail, from tv series Crocodile Shoes, etc) has established a successful roofing contract business. Drummer Beano Baggot (Timothy Spall, from Secrets And Lies, etc, in a role initially intended for Billy Connolly) runs a nursery business and tries to evade the Internal revenue service.
Fuelled by nostalgic memories of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, the band heads off on a tour of small European venues. They desperately try to refine their old stage act and get it together before they make a triumphant return to the very same venue at which they played their last gig. They learn that the industry has changed drastically during their absence. It's also a shock to hear potential groupies comment on how much their fathers adored the band back in the '70's. Eventually, all the old resentments resurface, most of them directed at the posturing, selfish Ray, and threaten to tear the band apart all over again.
Initially, Still Crazy seems to suggest another hilarious piss take on the rock and roll lifestyle a la Spinal Tap, but this funny movie follows a different tack. Still Crazy is not exactly exploring virgin territory here, but it does bring some fresh comic twists, bittersweet moments and hard truths to the old familiar rock 'n' roll clichés. Still Crazy will appeal strongly to the over thirty crowd, who may well get a kick out of the film, and have fun identifying some of the thinly veiled pop references along the way.
Still Crazy boasts a solid rock pedigree, with new songs written by Mick Jones (of Foreigner fame) and Jeff Lynne (from ELO, etc). Gary Kemp, the ex-Spandau Ballet member and part time actor, even taught the actors how to move on stage like the seasoned rockers they are supposed to be. Veteran British comedy writing team of Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais also gave us the marvellous The Commitments, while director Brian Gibson previously explored the precarious rock world with the superb Tina Turner biopic What's Love Got To Do With It?
The ensemble cast bring a potent mixture of weariness, cynicism and new found enthusiasm to their roles. Bruce Robinson, director of the cult classic Withnail And I, contributes a brief appearance as a former member of the band. For this band of aged rockers, preparing to take on the world again and relive their glory days, the flame does indeed still burn.
*** greg king http://www.netau.com.au/gregking
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