JIM reviews film 'FAME' [+ talks about some LIVE & FILMED dancing ]

“FAME” – REMEMBER their Names (& Don’t be afraid to SUCCEED)!

Rating: 8 of 10 stars (based on an advance screening).

This is a remake of the 1980 film by the same name, about attending the specialized New York Academy of Performing Arts. It uses a large cast to follow the trials & tribulations of students, their interactions with each other, their parents, the staff & the [very] “outside” world around them.

Jenny (KAY PANABAKER) is an initially “mousy” type of actress-singer, with little confidence or understanding in what she does and the motivations of some people around her. She’s encouraged (& later romanced) by self-assured & generous-spirited MARCO (ASHER BOOK) who’d sung for years in his father’s restaurant (& has a good & pleasant-sounding voice, such as in performing “Someone To Watch Over Me” & “I Just Got To Be Happy”). Denise (NATURI NAUGHTON) is a talented classical pianist, altho she dislikes doing just that & being forced to do so by her pushy father.

Kevin (PAUL McGILL), who has a dance-teacher mother back in Iowa, wants to be a dancer— tho the instructor isn’t very encouraging about his talent. Malik (COLLINS PENNIE) wants to be an actor, but, his teacher (CHARLES S. DUTTON) points out he comes across as overly angry.

Outgoing comedic Neil (PAUL IOCONO) loves doing video work all over the place, & carelessly urges his dad to put up money to produce a movie. Walter (VICTOR TAVERAS) likes to produce & arrange music. Alice (KHERINGTON PAYNE) is an accomplished dancer who eagerly wants a career in that field (rather than concentrating on romance in her life). Joy (ANNA MARIA PEREZ DE TAGLE) is a dedicated student.

Various segments feature some of the older, well-known stars: MEGAN MULALLY (as singing teacher Fran who’s urged to perform by some of the kids at one point); KELSEY GRAMMER (in an understated performance as acting instructor Joel); BEBE NEUWIRTH as teacher Lynn; and, as Principal Simms, you have DEBBIE ALLEN (who played ‘Lydia Grant’ in the ORIGINAL 1980 version of the film, plus the same role in 131 episodes of the TV show rendition from 1982-1987).

The film has a wonderful ENERGY in many of its musical and dance numbers (such as ‘Out Here On My Own’ and ‘CarnEvil’, and the large closing one with drums). Some performances are so impressive in the film (such as ones by Naturi), they got APPLAUSE from people in the movie theater audience. I liked the way they individually ‘PRESENTED - INTRODUCED’ the main actors separately during the credit section at the end (as movies “used” to do).

But, by sort of hurrying through what they say is a “4-year” period at the school, certain elements of the DRAMA are periodically “RUSHED” and a bit weak compared to the musical & dance elements. As a friend commented, he felt the film showed little real “growth” by the performers thru the period featured, & thus came across as somewhat “cliched”. While I feel there’s some accuracy in that position (in that the drama sections are a trifle “feeble” by comparison), I felt that the MUSICAL & DANCE elements & overall acting are so strong (& the main “point” of the film), they MAKE UP for that in providing a very EFFECTIVE entertainment vehicle (& a bunch of the young actor / performers are people to “WATCH” & REMEMBER for the future!).

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Before the film, the audience at the AMC21 was treated to some LIVE dancing by a bunch of talented young people, put on by DANCE COMMUNITY: CHICAGO. Its founder, JASON LAWS, gave some of the background on his organization & the dancers we’d be seeing. CHICAGO’S FINEST BREAKERS consisted of 4 very young people, 3 guys & 1 girl [who later told me they were 6, 7, 9 & 11 years old] who did some tremendously good & fast “SPINNING” work on their backs, necks, sides & (especially in the case of the girl) head.

Then, we enjoyed some more “HIP-HOP / RAP” singing & dancing by the “FAME Dancers”, a group of 20 more young people (teens & older), who did a finely choreographed energetic series of dance routines across the front of the theater. As I commented to film-maker “BRAZIL” (who will be showing a FILM he’s made about dancing at 3 PM on Saturday, October 2 at the HAROLD WASHINGTON CULTURAL CENTER, 4701 S. Martin Luther King Drive), I was impressed by how HARD the dancers had worked (for their “precision” hand & foot movements back & forth in the area), which I know had to be very difficult because there was very little “depth” to the area they had to work in there. All in all, it was a fine “introduction” to the film we were about to see.