Casi famosos

Cameron Crowe is a rock fan through and through, and you can feel it in some of his films from a hundred lengths of Wembley Stadium. Almost Famous is a nostalgic reminiscence of a time when rock music set the direction and its representatives were social icons: the golden 70s. A nice, clever story, with many life truths and likeable, unassuming faces. And I’m throwing in the fifth star for the incredibly funny "manifesto" of sincerity in the airplane scene. Now, tell me, can you resist a film that has lines like this?: “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.” (02.09.2009)

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. (23.06.2011)

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. (20.06.2006)

An unusual film experience, whose greatest advantage are gripping concert scenes that take the viewer to the very edge of ecstasy, and I'm not even a big fan of rock music. Cameron Crowe's concept of the story and rock as art and cult is impressive, despite the uneven pace. The whole film carries a haze of nostalgic atmosphere from the 1970s, which speaks to me even though I wasn't born at that time. And that was, in my opinion, Crowe's main intention, to appeal to a wide range of audiences and show what that era was like, and he succeeded to the dot. In his rendition, it is truly outstanding. (21.01.2006)

I only saw the extended version, so I can’t compare, but I will rely on the fact that a Director's Cut should be the full expression of a film’s main creator – and I certainly understand why Cameron Crowe did this. This is a story with many meanings that are often not explicitly stated, the viewer must find them in the interactions of the characters, their relationship to music and the never ending hippy era, which is imprinted on the characters and the music itself. And while the music geek Crowe manages the road movie genre with the most believable references to his own musical trips and a narration in the style of Reiner’s This Is Spinal Tap, unfortunately, he can’t avoid repetition and, at least in the director’s cut, becoming boring with the conflicts among the more or less well drawn characters. But I have to admit that every time I was about to press fast-forward, there was a smart or funny dialogue or scene that prevented it, which allowed the film’s message to get through in a tasteful and unforced way. Almost Famous is a film for a small group of people who don’t mind patiently accepting a personal author’s vision and join the characters on a trip across a world that seems more important than the story itself. I wasn’t fully drawn in and I don’t think I’d go for another ride, but as a lover of the music of that time and more thoughtful generational works, I’m happy with this mostly overlooked film. 75% (14.10.2019)

I actually watched the movie just because it starred Billy Crudup, who was great in The Morning Show, and I wasn't disappointed in the end. A special mention goes to the soundtrack - finally, after a long time, I didn't feel as if a big fat slimy creature had tried to fuck me in the ear while sleeping. (29.11.2020)

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. (20.02.2018)

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%] (13.01.2022)

"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. (05.01.2021)