Since my last post, I've packed up everything that could fit in my rolly suitcase and moved to New York City. It's all very exciting...and terrifying. And I can't stop thinking about money. It's the ultimate transition: from shelling out all of my money for an education to trying to save all of my money while being harassed for cash by the people who provided my education. Anyways, I decided to watch Fame, the remake. You don't need to tell me how painfully ironic it is. For those not so familiar, it's about a bunch of ambitious teens following their wildest dreams as they try to make it in, you guessed it, New York City.
I recognize it's a sin in itself for watching a remake without seeing the original and I fully apologize for that. But you have to understand, the selection at my local library is extremely limited. So I'm working with what I got.
So without further ado, my take on Fame, extended edition. Why, oh why did I think the longer version would be better?
Now, before I get going, let me be clear; I love me some musical theater. Singing along and boppin' in my seat to the tunes, I can't get enough...so long as the story can keep up. Sadly, Fame did not deliver.
There's two viable options for the reason things panned out the way they did. One, director Kevin Tancharoen was a little too excited about remaking a classic that he loved so much. Wanting to do it justice while still making it his own, he happened to gloss over some major plot points for the sake of style. Or two, Tancharoen just wanted to make something that looked cool and sounded nice. The optimistic side of me is fighting for option number one, but I just don't know.
You see, perhaps the biggest problem with this film is how damn transparent the plot is. I mean, people accused Across The Universe of being a vehicle for the tunes...but there was still bare bones structure. Julie Taymor still told a story, amongst all of the rockin'. This rendition of Fame took the idea of a pointless scene or a minute character trait to a brand new level.
There's a large cast of, seemingly, main characters. I couldn't be too certain because, well, there was never much focus on anyone specifically. If there was, there was an accompanying musical number overlaid in the scene to confuse the mood. The characters themselves had a colorful, stereotypical set of backgrounds, some more fleshed out than others. Jenny Garrison, played by Kay Panabaker, was a child of divorce and blamed herself for her parents' split. I couldn't help but think I had seen her before, but couldn't place where from. It drove me nuts. Malik Washburn, played by Collins Pennie, had no father growing up and saw his younger sister get shot in the streets. Marco, played by Asher Book, has parents who own a diner. And no, he does not have a last name. And here is where I cue the "one of these things is not like the other" music. And why are these kids fighting so hard to become famous? To be honest, I couldn't tell you.
I think this is a desperate attempt at a POV film that failed. All of the stereotypes are there: the girl trying to find herself, the rebellious guy who doesn't follow directions, the gay guy, the slutty dancer, the heartthrob, the girl who won't compromise her values, the cool teacher. The list goes on. Now think about flipping between each one about every five minutes. What could possibly go wrong? There was never enough time spent with each character for me to actually care about their story, or lack there of.
There were a lot of dancing shots for the sake of dancing. I can appreciate a good dance number, and I did, I just think it was a lot of talent that could have been utilized so much more wisely. Most of the numbers were shown as the dancers going over routines in class, so there were no fun costumes or lighting changes. I know, this is a movie about students, whose lives aren't glamorous and filled with rhinestones and sequins. But it's budget wasn't small. Maybe the amount of dancing in leotards was an homage to the original. Whatever the case, there was no rhyme or reason for each number. Capturing an unnamed male dancer on camera in slow-mo in mid-air may look nice, but it does nothing for your story.
Quick sidebar: Who let Kelsey Grammar into this whole ordeal? And why was he in so few scenes? I wasn't counting, but I'm pretty sure Frasier had less than 50 lines total.
Fame was working with a bunch of no-namers. I have absolutely no problem with this, and it's actually pretty exciting if your casting director has a good eye. The thing is, chemistry is pretty important when trying to make a story believable. The romance was forced and devoid of sensuality. I didn't buy anything any of the characters had to tell me. I was along for the ride to watch the pretty dancing. That's about it.
Last but not least, the biggest flaw. The catchy song that put this sucker on the map in the first place and the first thing that (I think) most people think of. "FAME! I'm gonna live forever, I'm gonna learn how to fly. HIGH!" Saved for the credit roll, along with outtakes from the dance numbers. Really?
I'm certain there's things I missed and I could continue to riff on for hours. Overall, as a musical lover, I didn't enjoy this one at all. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. If you happen to own it, I'm sorry.
Out of four, I give it:
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