Seen on: September 28, 2009
The players: Director: Kevin Tancharoen, Writer: Allison Burnett, Cast: Kherington Payne, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Paul McGill, Asher Book, Kristy Flores
Facts of interest: Remake of the 1980 "Fame."
The plot: A bunch of youngsters try to survive four years at the prestigious New York City High School of Performing Arts.
Our thoughts: Sure, I’ll remember the name of this disappointing remake, but that’s about it already. I can’t say I’m surprised Kevin Tancharoen’s new version of the 1980 musical lacks energy and heart, and as forgettable as this film is, I also admit I didn’t find this big-screen experience to be as boring as I expected.
That said, “Fame” failed to impress me, and it starts with the story. Spanning four years, the film follows a bunch of determined youngsters who first fight to get into the prestigious New York City High School of Performing Arts and then struggle to survive the various challenges they encounter on the road to graduation.
One of the main problems “Fame” faces is the dated story line. I’m definitely not against inspirational movies, but watching the same thing happen over and over again on the big screen just gets tiresome after a while. The film opened at more than 3,000 locations this past weekend, but it didn’t exactly do well at the box office.
Besides the musical numbers, this remake has absolutely nothing going for it. The characters in “Fame” remain uninteresting and underdeveloped, and when they’re not too ambitious or naïve in class or they’re not jamming on their lunch break, they engage in quick romances, or fight with their stubborn parents.
Before you know it, all of them face breakdowns at the exact same time, and to tell you the truth, I didn’t care a bit for any of these characters. They are thrown into a predictable, rushed plot about pursuing their passions for the right reasons, and none of all this is particularly enlightening or compelling, really.
Luckily, the film boasts a series of musical scenes, and select ones are indeed quite fascinating. In other words, “Fame” would be a way better film if it weren’t for the shallow story line. Tancharoen’s direction works, the cinematography works, the choreography works, and even the soundtrack delivers the goods here and there.
Another positive of this remake is the cast. The characters these young actors are playing are empty and boring, but most of them still deliver solid enough performances that certainly help boost the film’s overall pace. Some of them also move pretty well; especially Kherington Payne’s dance sequences really rock.
Freaky quote: "You have talent. Now let's see what we can do with it." – Kelsey Grammer
The final word: In the end, the script just messes too many things up in this movie at once. No, “Fame” version 2009 is not a complete failure, but apart from the aforementioned advantages, this is just one monotonous spectacle. So here it goes: skip the remake and just stick with the original.
Article by Franck Tabouring