I bought the DVD of this film based on the trailer that I saw. The trailer hinted at something fun, upbeat, Broadway-esque. It had a nostalgic feeling for me, since I used to play piano for up-and-coming cabaret and stage singers.
So, it is with great disappointment that I must say that this project failed on almost all levels. Except for the opening credit sequence, which, again, hinted at something wonderful, the film involves lots of establishing shots (many which are pointless), long, rambling scenes filled with people sitting and talking (or walking and talking), and very, very little music.
The plot, such as it is, doesn't make any sense at all. A man (really) named Joe Schermann is an accompanist and a composer who seems aimless, arrogant, bored, and disconnected from reality. He has a girlfriend, Evey (not "Evie," played by Christina Rose, who makes every effort to give it her all) who inexplicably adores him. We are somehow supposed to understand that Joe has some kind of social anxiety. When Evey drags him to an after-show party, he seems incapable of answering the question, "What do you do?" Why this is, is a mystery to me.
We see him playing piano for other singers, teaching piano to a kid, playing piano at a party (where an incredibly stupid guest says, "So, are you a musician or something?" - this is apparently supposed to be hysterically funny to "those in the know"), and playing piano for an audition. At the audition, the first woman who sings has a beautiful voice, but she is dismissed after one line. This is also apparently supposed to show the "cruel reality" of "auditioning." Then another woman comes in, "Summer" (played with some slight sunny charm by Debbie Williams). From almost the instant she starts singing, Joe's face lights up. He's "found his muse." And yet... Summer's singing abalbility isn't that much better than Evey's. In other words, both of them are competent singers, maybe even fine singers, under certain circumstances.
Then Joe (who, I'm sorry to say, has absolutely no acting skills), who doesn't like to collaborate or work with others, is given an "opportunity" to write music for an "off-Broadway show" by his friend "Gunther" (Mark DiConzo, who also apparently choreographed the few dance numbers in the film). The "producers" of the "off-Broadway show" do not seem to know anything about music and apparently have no story and no actors and no understanding of how to cast a lead. But after "auditioning" Joe in a bizarre fantasy sequence in which he attempts to play the type of music they want, he's hired (for a job he needs but doesn't want to do), and is also apparently given full power to find and hire the lead.
This causes him to stalk Summer (instead of just calling her on the phone) and "offer" her the part for the show (she has no idea what it is about but agrees to do it relatively quickly). At first, when she sees her 8x10 sticking out of his pocket (folded so that we can clearly see that it's her), she thinks he's a gross weirdo stalking her. (Who would fold someone's 8x10 and stick it in their front pocket?) When he tells her, "I just had to tell you this in person" - I thought - "Uh, no you didn't. That's why we have phones."
This long, convoluted journey then becomes about jealous Evey who believes she should have the opportunity to audition for the part (and she's right, she should) and Summer. Who will get it? Will this destroy Joe's love life? Will he then fall in love with Summer, who first says she had a boyfriend then admits she doesn't?
Who cares? There is so much talking and moping and whining and blathering and blah-blah-blah that it makes absolutely no difference whatsoever. I thought this was going to be a "musical." It is not. It is a talk-fest with a few suspect "Broadway-sounding" songs thrown in.
The ONLY song that actually had some chance at being considered for a real show is the title song. It is clever, musical, worthy of an ensemble and memorable. Other than a dancing dog at a princess party in the park, to show what kind of horrible stuff Evey has to do to make a living (entertain girls who all want to be pretty princesses when they grow up!) and the title sequence, the title song is the only thing this movie has got going for it.
The writer/director, Gary King, who seems like a sincerely sweet person, felt compelled to put himself in the film as a "screenwriter" who ultimately "saves" Evey's career by offering her a chance to read for a part in his film. And Summer? She gets a part in the ensemble of a real Broadway show and apparently bails on the one that Joe wrote music for.
And, oh... that show? We never get to see it. All we see is Joe and one of the producers standing in a tiny Equity house (looked like about 50 seats), staring at an empty theater. The producer says, "It wasn't that bad, was it?" And Joe reluctantly agrees with her.
Huh?
The cover of the DVD looks great and, again, the opening sequence gave the illusion that we were going to go on this great, wonderful ride. But none of that happened, and so I cannot recommend this in any shape or form. The title song should be released as a video on YouTube, because it was fun and musical, and the dancing dog should be turned into a meme. Other than that, sorry, it doesn't work.
So, it is with great disappointment that I must say that this project failed on almost all levels. Except for the opening credit sequence, which, again, hinted at something wonderful, the film involves lots of establishing shots (many which are pointless), long, rambling scenes filled with people sitting and talking (or walking and talking), and very, very little music.
The plot, such as it is, doesn't make any sense at all. A man (really) named Joe Schermann is an accompanist and a composer who seems aimless, arrogant, bored, and disconnected from reality. He has a girlfriend, Evey (not "Evie," played by Christina Rose, who makes every effort to give it her all) who inexplicably adores him. We are somehow supposed to understand that Joe has some kind of social anxiety. When Evey drags him to an after-show party, he seems incapable of answering the question, "What do you do?" Why this is, is a mystery to me.
We see him playing piano for other singers, teaching piano to a kid, playing piano at a party (where an incredibly stupid guest says, "So, are you a musician or something?" - this is apparently supposed to be hysterically funny to "those in the know"), and playing piano for an audition. At the audition, the first woman who sings has a beautiful voice, but she is dismissed after one line. This is also apparently supposed to show the "cruel reality" of "auditioning." Then another woman comes in, "Summer" (played with some slight sunny charm by Debbie Williams). From almost the instant she starts singing, Joe's face lights up. He's "found his muse." And yet... Summer's singing abalbility isn't that much better than Evey's. In other words, both of them are competent singers, maybe even fine singers, under certain circumstances.
Then Joe (who, I'm sorry to say, has absolutely no acting skills), who doesn't like to collaborate or work with others, is given an "opportunity" to write music for an "off-Broadway show" by his friend "Gunther" (Mark DiConzo, who also apparently choreographed the few dance numbers in the film). The "producers" of the "off-Broadway show" do not seem to know anything about music and apparently have no story and no actors and no understanding of how to cast a lead. But after "auditioning" Joe in a bizarre fantasy sequence in which he attempts to play the type of music they want, he's hired (for a job he needs but doesn't want to do), and is also apparently given full power to find and hire the lead.
This causes him to stalk Summer (instead of just calling her on the phone) and "offer" her the part for the show (she has no idea what it is about but agrees to do it relatively quickly). At first, when she sees her 8x10 sticking out of his pocket (folded so that we can clearly see that it's her), she thinks he's a gross weirdo stalking her. (Who would fold someone's 8x10 and stick it in their front pocket?) When he tells her, "I just had to tell you this in person" - I thought - "Uh, no you didn't. That's why we have phones."
This long, convoluted journey then becomes about jealous Evey who believes she should have the opportunity to audition for the part (and she's right, she should) and Summer. Who will get it? Will this destroy Joe's love life? Will he then fall in love with Summer, who first says she had a boyfriend then admits she doesn't?
Who cares? There is so much talking and moping and whining and blathering and blah-blah-blah that it makes absolutely no difference whatsoever. I thought this was going to be a "musical." It is not. It is a talk-fest with a few suspect "Broadway-sounding" songs thrown in.
The ONLY song that actually had some chance at being considered for a real show is the title song. It is clever, musical, worthy of an ensemble and memorable. Other than a dancing dog at a princess party in the park, to show what kind of horrible stuff Evey has to do to make a living (entertain girls who all want to be pretty princesses when they grow up!) and the title sequence, the title song is the only thing this movie has got going for it.
The writer/director, Gary King, who seems like a sincerely sweet person, felt compelled to put himself in the film as a "screenwriter" who ultimately "saves" Evey's career by offering her a chance to read for a part in his film. And Summer? She gets a part in the ensemble of a real Broadway show and apparently bails on the one that Joe wrote music for.
And, oh... that show? We never get to see it. All we see is Joe and one of the producers standing in a tiny Equity house (looked like about 50 seats), staring at an empty theater. The producer says, "It wasn't that bad, was it?" And Joe reluctantly agrees with her.
Huh?
The cover of the DVD looks great and, again, the opening sequence gave the illusion that we were going to go on this great, wonderful ride. But none of that happened, and so I cannot recommend this in any shape or form. The title song should be released as a video on YouTube, because it was fun and musical, and the dancing dog should be turned into a meme. Other than that, sorry, it doesn't work.