Tag Archives: Julianne Hough

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Rock of Ages: Tongue in Cheeks

Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise), while interacting with a Rolling Stone reporter played by Malin Akerman, works his way through a series of hand signals. The penultimate signal, the iconic two finger rock and roll salute, morphs into the universal insult the one finger salute. I giggled, and had an epiphany. Rock of Ages is a tongue in cheek, cynical, indictment of the music industry. The music is 1980s but the frustration is contemporary. Music is a business, replete with sleazy managers, self-indulgent artists and sycophantic hangers-on. Rock of Ages made me think of Mash. That film, written to protest America’s involvement in the war in Vietnam, was set during the Korean War. Rock of Ages uses the ’80s to chastise contemporary music.

I am particularly qualified to answer the question, “Do you have to like ’80s rock and roll to enjoy this film?” During the 1980s I was listening to country music with a smidgen of classical music. That said, the song choices are so iconic that even I recognized a tune or two. The man behind the film’s music is Adam Anders, the master of Glee mash-ups. No one knows how to cover a song like Mr. Anders. However he is only as good as the singers with whom he must work.

Julianne Hough plays the ingenue. Naive young girl from a small town comes to LA to make her dream of being a singer come true. Hough is prototypically American, blonde, blue-eyed and annoyingly nasal, as only an American girl can be. Her voice isn’t strong enough to carry the great rock anthems she is asked to sing. Diego Boneta plays Drew, Hough’s love interest, and an aspiring rocker. His voice is more powerful than Hough’s. From the shoulders down, however, heis as stiff as a Stratocaster. The rock swagger is missing.

The best voices for the music were Mary J Blige, and, believe it or not, Russell Brand and Alex Baldwin. Mary J Blige may not be a surprise, but Russell Brand and Alex Baldwin? (I think my keyboard is going to explode.) Tom Cruise impressed with his swagger. His voice was powerful, but lacked the quintessential rough edge that Brand and Baldwin delivered. The duet Cruise sang with Akerman, however, was pitch perfect. That one caused chills.

Director Adam Shankman (Hairspray) knows the challenges of adapting a Broadway musical to film. His choreographer was a So You Think You Can Dance colleague, Mia Michaels. With the exception of the strip club scene, I found the choreography undermined the ’80s feel, especially during the rock performances. Mr. Shankman, as director, is ultimately responsible for that disconnect.

Rock of Ages unexpected undercurrent of cynicism could make this film the first chick flick that guys will enjoy.

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Footloose since 1984

One of the first films that I ever reviewed was the original Footloose, starring Kevin Bacon. Lori Singer played the preacher’s daughter, and Sarah Jessica Parker was Rusty. The late Chris Penn played Willard. John Lithgow was the grief ridden Reverend, and Dianne Wiest, his wife.

Cover of "Footloose (Special Collector's ...

Cover of Footloose (Special Collector's Edition)

In the 27 years that passed, my tastes, experiences and preferences changed, as did the world around me.  The world of Footloose 2011 includes iPods, Internet, free-stylin’,  and hip-hop’s legitimacy as an Art form. Small town teens are less innocent. As Willard explains to Ren, the world comes to Bomont through satellites and cellphones.

The big moments I remember vividly from the original were incorporated into the remake – sometimes only as a nod. The chicken-tractor scene is now a race between school buses that begins with the villain menacing Ren with a tractor. The night that the kids drive out of town to dance at a country bar comes with a Big and Rich tune – fake ID. The abandoned factory dance number is more sophisticated. The entire film has more sophistication than the original. Footloose 2011 tries hard to be a “film.” The iconic songs of the original are acknowledged, but play a back seat to plot.

Dennis Quaid replaced John Lithgow. Andie McDowell replaced Dianne Wiest. Kenny Wormwald and Julianne Hough are Ren and Ariel respectively. Another difference, the lead characters are played by professional dancers. No dance doubles needed as they were in 1984. Oh yeah, Ren is from Boston not Chicago, giving the character an accent that differentiates him more dramatically than in the original.

My memory of the first Footloose was that it was a film about dance that made me want to get up and dance in the theatre. I loved the soundtrack, especially the four songs that earned radio play. The title song, Footloose, Holding out for a Hero, Dancing in the Sheets and Almost Paradise. The 2011 version did not inspire me to dance madly in my living room, and left me thirsting for the songs to predominate.

I’m not panning the film, because there is a generation of film goers who never saw the original. But if you did, then the remake may just disappoint.