Almost Famous

Dear film, the profaned term "like real life" fits you like few others. Poor William accidentally gets into the backstage of a rock concert in the role of a semi-amateur journalist and from there, it's just a step to his involvement in the big tour of his favorite band. And on top of that, it seems like he has fallen in love with a fellow traveling fan, whom he will never have. If there was something captivating about this film for me, it was precisely William's storyline with Penny Lane, which emotionally practically broke me apart, and during most of their dialogues, I honestly had an authentic feeling in my stomach that would be enough for me to never forget Almost Famous for the rest of my life. Here, Crowe hit the bulls-eye and it's even more of a pity that their story, in a way, remains untold, and the film focuses more on the bromance of the main character with Russell in the remaining runtime. (06/19/2006)

"If you think Mick Jagger will still be out there trying to be a rock star at age fifty, then you are sadly, sadly mistaken." +++ These memorable words, along with a lot of other catchphrases, make Almost Famous probably the most entertaining musical film I've ever seen. Cameron Crowe showed here that he is not only a huge fan of rock music, but that he can also bring it to the film audience in a very engaging way. The 1970s were undoubtedly a time when legendary bands created their greatest rock hits, and I am grateful that someone allowed me to peek into the environment where it all happened. It was an incredible ride, which I would love to repeat again. (01/05/2021)

I'm glad I saw this and can't say I didn't like it. At the very least, though, it's fair to mention that the longer version (The Bootleg Cut) is unnecessarily drawn out in places (especially in the exposition and at the end). Plus, the film just isn't good enough to keep you unreservedly entertained for the entire two and a half hours. It certainly works as an appealing type of generational statement, and hardcore fans of classic rock will definitely enjoy it, but despite the feel-good vibe of the whole thing I couldn't help feeling that the filmmaking craft here was only slightly above average at best. Even in terms of emotion, it wasn't as strong as I thought it would be. Definitely an enjoyable feel-good film, but that's about it. [65%] (01/13/2022)

A very pleasant film. I’m pretty far from a rock fan, and going on tour with a band is the last thing I could wish for, but this film has such an easygoing and lovely atmosphere that it almost made me feel like going to see a concert (but only quietly, from the backstage :-D). Anyway, a little paradoxically, the character that I found the most likeable was mum McDormand. (06/23/2011)

I really like rock music, but that fact didn't help me much to get me through this film. It's a decent retro, it has good actors, it's human, and the pleasant emotions are not unnecessarily exacerbated, but it just couldn't grab me by the heart, which personally surprised me quite a bit, because I thought I would like it. (02/20/2018)