Almost Famous

Dear film, the profaned term "like real life" fits you like few others. Poor William accidentally gets into the backstage of a rock concert in the role of a semi-amateur journalist and from there, it's just a step to his involvement in the big tour of his favorite band. And on top of that, it seems like he has fallen in love with a fellow traveling fan, whom he will never have. If there was something captivating about this film for me, it was precisely William's storyline with Penny Lane, which emotionally practically broke me apart, and during most of their dialogues, I honestly had an authentic feeling in my stomach that would be enough for me to never forget Almost Famous for the rest of my life. Here, Crowe hit the bulls-eye and it's even more of a pity that their story, in a way, remains untold, and the film focuses more on the bromance of the main character with Russell in the remaining runtime. (20/06/2006)

A very pleasant film. I’m pretty far from a rock fan, and going on tour with a band is the last thing I could wish for, but this film has such an easygoing and lovely atmosphere that it almost made me feel like going to see a concert (but only quietly, from the backstage :-D). Anyway, a little paradoxically, the character that I found the most likeable was mum McDormand. (23/06/2011)

I actually watched the movie just because it starred Billy Crudup, who was great in The Morning Show, and I wasn't disappointed in the end. A special mention goes to the soundtrack - finally, after a long time, I didn't feel as if a big fat slimy creature had tried to fuck me in the ear while sleeping. (29/11/2020)

An unusual film experience, whose greatest advantage are gripping concert scenes that take the viewer to the very edge of ecstasy, and I'm not even a big fan of rock music. Cameron Crowe's concept of the story and rock as art and cult is impressive, despite the uneven pace. The whole film carries a haze of nostalgic atmosphere from the 1970s, which speaks to me even though I wasn't born at that time. And that was, in my opinion, Crowe's main intention, to appeal to a wide range of audiences and show what that era was like, and he succeeded to the dot. In his rendition, it is truly outstanding. (21/01/2006)

Cameron Crowe is a rock fan through and through, and you can feel it in some of his films from a hundred lengths of Wembley Stadium. Almost Famous is a nostalgic reminiscence of a time when rock music set the direction and its representatives were social icons: the golden 70s. A nice, clever story, with many life truths and likeable, unassuming faces. And I’m throwing in the fifth star for the incredibly funny "manifesto" of sincerity in the airplane scene. Now, tell me, can you resist a film that has lines like this?: “If you think Mick Jagger will still be out there trying to be a rock star at age fifty, then you are sadly, sadly mistaken.” (02/09/2009)