Rating of
2/4
lastonetoleave - wrote on 01/05/13
Not Fade Away (2012) It’s 1964, and America is being invaded by musical groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Douglas (John Magaro) and his friends are about to graduate from high school and decide to form a rock band with dreams of a record contract and playing to sold out venues. Soon the boys find out that carrying out their dreams isn’t as easy as they thought, as they end up having to play birthday parties and frat keggers just to get gigs. The best part of this film is the music, which does a superb job of giving the audience a sense of the monumental and groundbreaking music of the mid-1960s. Magaro, as Douglas, gives a satisfying performance as an initially shy young man. When he's given the center stage, he grabs it with gusto and is willing to take the lead singer position at almost any cost. James Gandolfini plays Douglas’ father who disapproves of his son’s career and lifestyle choices. Gandolfini, though, isn’t given much in the role to play. He only gets to show some of his acting skills near the end of the film when he has a heart-to-heart with his son. I was little let down by the script and disappointed with a screenplay from a talented writer. I feel I was never pulled into the story, it was as if Director/Writer Chase wanted to share great music but wrote a story to just set up each song. My Rating: Bargain Matinee
