397 - The Rocker review

Note: This was written for the Thursday newspaper audience in mind, which explains part of the tone.

A film like “The Rocker” brings to the forefront my issues with the star scoring system. I’ve been grading movies this way for years, but not until I started writing words to go along with the stars did I understand how a simple score completely fails to do the ongoing discourse about film any justice.

Not that “The Rocker” is a particularly complex or notable film. It’s not very good and I was always keenly aware of this, but there’s a persistent charm and good-natured attitude, the result of filmmakers with innocuous intentions.

The titular rocker (Robert ‘Fish’ Fishman) is played by Rainn Wilson, best known for his wonderful performance as an insufferably uptight geek on NBC’s “The Office.” Fish is in a 20 year funk after being booted from his heavy metal band in the 80’s. While they went on to superstardom, he gets to bounce around the sort of soul crushing jobs people become musicians to avoid.

In a story that ensures this film will primarily be known as the “School of Rock” clone, Fish gets pulled out of a thoroughly pathetic retirement to drum for his teenage nephew’s garage band. The three teens (played by Teddy Geiger, Josh Gadd, and Emma Stone) are skeptical but desperate, and aren’t exactly surprised when Fish’s manic energy translates poorly to a gentle prom dance. Later, through a serious of events that would make me generous if I labeled them improbable, their band (A.D.D.) hits it big and goes on tour.

Unlike the superior “School of Rock,” this film has little concern with music, but with the rock lifestyle. Unfortunately, it’s too tame to portray the hedonism effectively, sort of cheating us out what could have been many more effective gags. Couple this with a joylessly clichéd romantic interest (Christina Applegate) for Fish and an 11th hour crisis of conscience, and the narrative all too frequently sounds out of tune.

Wilson’s performance is the showcase, and suggests this could have been something with a tighter script. His character isn’t a hack, but a genuinely great drummer that was only replaced so a record executive’s nephew could make it big. Fish is the sort who lives for the spectacle, who age hasn’t slowed down, and can’t understand why anyone else would think of a life out of the spotlight. He’s lacks shame not because he’s crazy, but because the world screwed him over and he owes it no apologies. The majority of the pic’s laughs belong to him, and though there’s little memorable, Wilson’s unabashedly vivacious performance is difficult not to endear oneself to.

But back to those star ratings: I can’t recommend this film, but I can say that I enjoyed it, and even liked it. With so many films on screens at any moment that disrespect their characters and could care less about what happens to them, the ones that don’t are easy to appreciate, even if they don’t quite rock.

2.5 out of 5