The Agency's Posts

On the Set: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law talk 'Sherlock Holmes': Reporting from Didcot,— This much is clear: It's 1891, a year after their first....
Read More>

James Bond (and Daniel Craig) back on the job: James Bond will be back in U.S. theaters in November 2012 with “Skyfall,” the 23rd....
Read More>

Movie review: 'Anonymous': The film, with Rhys Ifans as Edward de Vere, the film's purported bard behind Shakespeare, is no....
Read More>

Should 'In Time' star Justin Timberlake cry himself a river?: Many things could be said of Justin Timberlake's nascent acting career, but one thing he....
Read More>

You want some ice cream: Eddie Murphy's comeback bid: Eddie Murphy began what could be an epic return to glory--or maybe just an ephemeral return....
Read More>

Davis Guggenheim talks U2's 'Achtung Baby' documentary: More than two decades ago, the Irish rockers U2 were at one of their early peaks with their....
Read More>

Rowan Atkinson finds U.S. a tough bean to crack: Although the Brit comic's Mr. Bean and Johnny English films and TV shows have found global....
Read More>

Zooey Deschanel sings the national anthem, is 'not a jerk': Zooey Deschanel sang the national anthem Sunday night at Game 4 of the World Series,....
Read More>

Zachary Quinto on the 'STAR TREK sequel: It’s been a busy week for a certain young Vulcan. Zachary Quinto’s first effort as....
Read More>

Time is money in the Justin Timberlake sci-fi film: The new science fiction film “In Time” is predicated on a single high-concept: In....
Read More>

Critic's Notebook: The lowdown with Tom Waits: Similes, metaphors, memorable characters and lyrics — it's all there in the....
Read More>
Saturday Night Movie Pick: ROCK OF AGES
Posted on: 06/16/12
Share/Save/Bookmark
 Review: 'Rock of Ages' loves rock 'n' roll


Put another dime in the jukebox, baby, because this bawdy, boisterous ode to '80s rock is head-banging good fun, much of it driven by Tom Cruise.


A triumph of genial impudence over good sense and better taste, "Rock of Ages"is the guiltiest of guilty pleasures. Blessed with unstoppable energy, an undeniably bawdy sense of fun and Tom Cruise in backless leather pants, it takes songs you may never have loved and turns them into a musical that's easy to enjoy.

Those tunes, undying anthems like Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'," Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" and Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is," come courtesy of the 2009 musical tribute to 1980s rock that was nominated for five Tonys and is still playing on Broadway.

Enthusiastically directed by "Hairspray's" Adam Shankmanand written by play writer Chris D'Arienzo with help fromJustin Theroux and Allan Loeb, the movie "Rock of Ages" adds characters and tinkers with the personalities of others, but the core of the enterprise remains the same.

Its essential sweetness leavened by knowing winks, "Rock of Ages" succeeds as well as it does because of its unlikely combination of a guileless, thunderously clichéd boy-meets-girl plot structure conveyed in a sophisticated, showbiz-savvy style.

The film is also filled with actors willing to dive headfirst into their roles and take the endeavor's inherent foolishness seriously, all with an eye toward enhancing the audience's fun. And though "Rock of Ages" is very much an ensemble film, its success is grounded in Cruise's fearless work as ultimate rock god Stacee Jaxx.

Before we get to Mr. Jaxx, however, the young lovers must be brought on stage, starting with aspiring singer Sherrie Christian ("Footloose's" Julianne Hough). The year is 1987 and Sherrie is taking a Greyhound bus from her home in Oklahoma direct to the Sunset Strip, accompanied by a single suitcase that apparently contains nothing but her LP record collection.

Sherrie doesn't speak her thoughts on the bus; in the best musical tradition she sings them, with the driver and other passengers joining in, letting us know that this film doesn't plan to be bound by the constraints of pedestrian reality. Neither does Sherrie, who is so entranced by the grungy Strip that she belts out David Lee Roth's "Just Like Paradise."

Soon enough Sherrie meets fellow squeaky-clean would-be rocker Drew Boley (the debuting Diego Boneta), who shows her where Tower Records is and gets her a job working with him at the Bourbon Room, the movie's pumped-up version of the Whisky a Go Go.

Because it's inevitably going to take the entire film for these made-for-each-other kids to work out their predictable issues, "Rock of Ages" is happy to provide a sterling group of supporting actors to keep us entertained, starting with Alec Baldwin as the owner of the Bourbon Room and Russell Brand as his trusty right-hand man.

The Bourbon may be packed every night, but it is losing money, which is why the club approaches Stacee Jaxx to do a benefit. Enter not only Stacee but also his slimy manager (Paul Giamatti) and a fetching Rolling Stone reporter (Malin Akerman) whose tough questions get under the rocker's skin.

Presumably modeled on the likes of Axl Rose, Steven Tyler and Jon Bon Jovi, Stacee Jaxx makes women faint — literally — when he walks into a room. Heavily tattooed and heroically self-absorbed, with a capuchin monkey for a pet and a devil's head codpiece for his leather pants, the lead singer of Arsenal oozes wicked charisma in the most wasted way, and it's Cruise's deadpan work that makes the man so entertaining to observe.

Previous roles like agent Les Grossman in "Tropic Thunder" have demonstrated Cruise's affinity for over-the-top characterizations, and no Actors Studio adept ever threw himself into a part with more zeal. Cruise even took intensive singing lessons — he apparently has a four-octave range — to effectively belt out songs like Bon Jovi's"Wanted Dead or Alive" and Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me."

Equally committed to her role as Patricia Whitmore, the God-fearing wife of the Los Angeles mayor, isCatherine Zeta-Jones. Whitmore, a character invented for the film, is determined to reclaim the evil Strip for the city's abstemious citizens.

"Hit Me With Your Best Shot," the dance number Whitmore and her cohorts do to the Pat Benatarsong, is an example of the unexpected burlesque settings "Rock of Ages" dreams up for its songs. Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is" is set in a wild sex scene, the group's "Waiting for a Girl Like You" starts at a urinal, and to describe what's done withREO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling" would ruin the fun.

Fun is definitely the byword here, manufactured by accomplished filmmaking all around, with a special nod to the costumes of Rita Ryack and Mia Michaels' choreography. Just like the song says, they built this city onrock 'n' roll, and that can't be bad.

kenneth.turan@latimes.com

 
COMMENTS
Be the first to post a comment!


Post A Comment:




  • It's 2020! Start booking roles in commercials, fashion, films, theater and more with The Agency Online!

  • NEW WORKSHOP with Barbara Barna & Sean De Simone!

    Hi Everyone and Happy Summer! Sean at Sean De Simone casting and Barbara Barna are teaming up for a super informative and fun Hosting for Home Shopping workshop. A great opportunity for established or experienced TV Hosts and Experts interested in learning how to get noticed and how to get in....
  • MASTERCLASS W. Robin Carus & David John Madore

    A Special Offer for the Agency Community, from one of our favorite NYC Casting Directors! EMAIL FacetheMusicWithUs@gmail.com Or Eventbrite To Sign Up! Class Size is Limited.
  • Don't Fall Into The Comparison Trap

    Hi Everyone! As the second installment in an ongoing series of features by the Agency's amazing community, here's some sage advice from our own Regina Rockensies; a humble (& awesome)veteran we've had the pleasure of working with for a long time. Have an excellent week! : ) - The Agency....
  • One Model's Agreement

    Hi Everyone! As the first piece in an ongoing series of original articles by the Agency community, here's a short reflection on some of the values of professional acting & modeling that we can all keep in mind for our next casting. Good luck on your castings &shoots this week! : ) -....




 
home       castings&news       privacy policy       terms and conditions      contact us      browser tips
Official PayPal Seal