CBGB

Yes, this flick has almost every filmmaking malady one can think of. Often narratively ham-fisted, as if it were an eager attempt by an inattentive film student, the timing of scenes with some comic potential is botched and even the intended humour is often lost in them. But what Randall Miller lacks in talent, he replaces with passion for the cause. You can clearly feel the genuine love for rock music, the undisguised admiration for the classic musicians who appear here (Ramones, Talking Heads, The Police, Patti Smith, Blondie, Iggy Pop, etc.) and the respect for the "godfather of punk" Hilly Kristal, played with likeable casualness by Alan Rickman. Sometimes that alone is enough to make me like a film, despite all its creative flaws. 3 or 4 stars? In this case, it’s irrelevant. (28/01/2014)