Sometimes a plot comes around that just never seems to get old. And, sometimes, it needs to. First a musical film in 1980, Fame was adapted into both a Broadway musical and popular television series. Now almost 30 years later, Fame hits theaters again, with a revamped script and a whole new crop of characters. Though more glitzy and fast-paced, the new Fame lacks the grit and depth of its decidedly more serious predecessor.
Writer Allison Burnett's adaptation, though still focusing on the lives and education of these mega-talented New York kids, veers surprisingly far from the original. Fans of previous versions of Fame will find no familiar faces, except for Debbie Allen's brief cameo as PA's principal. Burnett's version ushers in a totally new slew of students: Jenny, Victor, Denise, Marco, Alice, Malik, Rosie, Kevin, Joy and Neil - each with more than enough gift to go around but still struggling with the high-octane, "do or die" world of their varied crafts. A group of relative unknowns compiles the cast of students, while the cast of teachers includes a few recognizable faces. Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) is the brusque but understanding music professor and Megan Mullally (Will & Grace) is a somewhat jaded, "tough love" voice coach.
If the above list of characters - not to mention the ones not included - sounds a bit dizzying to keep up with, it's because it is. The audience is given an overflowing plate of characters and their subplots, conflicts and resolutions, and as a result, there's no concise focus to the film. The film bounces from student to student and zooms from year to year, seemingly without much of a care as to what happens in between those choppy jumps. The vast majority of characters are one-dimensional - the film doesn't spend enough time with each to develop them fully. This glossing obstructs the audience's ability to understand or empathize with the characters. Consequently, when the film actually attempts to tackle the hard-hitting issues in the kids' lives, we hardly believe or relate to their reactions, let alone genuinely care for them.
The remake did benefit, though, from one aspect of its overhaul. Director Kevin Tancharoen's experience in filming numerous dance numbers in shows like Dancelife definitely pays off in Fame. Though the film doesn't quite feel like a musical - there's few song and dance numbers - each one is a spectacle, as sharp, dramatic lighting and slow motion effects make each movement a visual treat. Tancharoen ensures that each performance looks, simply put, cool.
An honest attempt to create a fresh and inventive remake, the new Fame is entertaining on an entirely superficial level. The outside looks amazing, but what's cooking underneath leaves much more to be desired. Yes, we understand that the students want to be famous and successful but we have no idea what's propelling them. The tenacious, do-whatever-it-takes attitude of the first round of Fame-ers is lost on this new bunch of kids, who tell us they want it - but don't make us believe it.
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
