Directed by:
Brian GibsonCinematography:
Ashley RoweCast:
Stephen Rea, Billy Connolly, Jimmy Nail, Timothy Spall, Bill Nighy, Helena Bergström, Bruce Robinson, Hans Matheson, Rachael Stirling, Phil Davis (more)Plots(1)
Twenty years after Strange Fruit's highly publicized breakup in 1978 at the Wisbech open-air festival, the band--keyboardist Tony, who was working as a condom salesman in Ibiza; bassist Les, now a roofer in the frozen North of England; drummer Beano, leading a reclusive existence in his mother's garden; ultra-vain lead singer Ray, living beyond his means with his second Swedish wife; and Brian the fragile lead guitarist who is currently MIA--has been persuaded to get back together for a reunion concert, Wisbech 1998. "Still Crazy" charts their increasingly desperate efforts to recapture the magic, the music, the lost opportunities and the missed performances of their prime. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (3)
A humorously written story and a pleasant 90 minutes spent in the company of aging rock bards whose quest to return to the limelight and defy the adage "You never step into the same river twice" is so likeable that it's impossible not to root for them. Although their sometimes simple stone-age rock is not my cup of tea, the entertaining theatrics of the brilliant Bill Nighy made it almost a treat in places; and the rest of the cast was certainly not lagging behind him. It´s Only Rock´n´Roll, so go on, grandpas, look at Lemmy :)
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A bunch of grandpas who go on their last tour after several years of hiatus. It’s almost strikingly reminiscent of the new Czech movie Revival. However, I must admit that I can enjoy this sort of a story with British actors as well. Not to mention that the band consists of such actor names as Rea, Connolly, Spall or Nighy. And I have to applaud the music itself; I wouldn’t really listen to it on my own, but it was a great fit for the movie.
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I enjoyed Strange Fruit’s European tour even the second time around. Watching those aging rockers attempting a comeback was fun most of the time, but I didn’t expect a guitar player of Brian’s stature to bring such discordant notes to the story. This is where the creators started pushing too hard, trying to pull at the viewers’ heartstrings instead of the guitar strings. As usual, I really loved Bill Nighy, but that was to be expected as I’m a longtime fan.
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