Dir. Nick Hamm, UK, 2011, 114 mins
Cast: Ben Barnes, Robert Sheehan, Pete Postlethwaite
Review by Carol Allen
The screenplay for this movie is written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, who had a hit back in 1991 with The Commitments, which was also about an Irish band. But this film is about one of the ninety niners, the ninety per cent of the bands that don’t make it, and is based on Neil McCormick’s autobiographical book.
Neil (Barnes) and Paul (Martin McCann) are schoolboy friends. Both want to form bands and become stars. At first there’s just a friendly rivalry between them and when Paul’s band plays support to Neil’s at a gig, Neil’s is actually rather better. But Paul then changes his name to Bono and the band’s to U2, and while they go on to fame and fortune, Neil’s efforts constantly come to grief. Something always goes wrong. But what he never realises is that he is the author of his own misfortune. It’s not just bad luck. What is coming between him and success is his own blind arrogance and big mouth.
McCann as Bono pops up from time to time, always ready to support his old friend, who rejects any offer of help, determined to make it on his own. But the centre of the film is Barnes as Neil, who offsets the character’s negative points by making him a likeable hero with his considerable cheeky charm and admirable determination. Playing his younger brother Ivan, who sticks with him through thin and thinner despite Neil’s character flaws is Robert Sheehan from television’s Misfits (one of the best things on telly incidentally). There are strong supporting performances from Stanley Townsend as the fearsome Dublin gangster who bankrolls Neil’s band but then wants a return on his investment, Pete Postelthwaite in his last performance as the boys’ delightfully eccentric gay landlord, who throws wild parties in the warehouse where they rent a scruffy flat in London and Justine Waddell as the boys’ manager and Neil’s sometime girlfriend.
For fans of U2 the film gives an interesting sideways look at the downside of the music world, as we watch their progress to the dizzy heights and events like the Live Aid concert from the sidelines with Neil. It’s skilfully performed and directed and also very funny in a witty and ironic way as it explores the down side of wanting to be a rock and roll star.
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