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The Rocker (2008)

Director: Peter Cattaneo

Time Out rating

Average user rating

7 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Forty-year-old Cleveland suit, Robert ‘Fish’ Fishman (Rainn Wilson of ‘The Office’), 20 years on, is still nursing resentments from his dismissal from subsequently super-successful rock outfit Vesuvius. A bit of a smoking volcano himself, the erstwhile drummer finally explodes in response to one too many jibes from his office colleagues following the (now pretentiously English sounding) hair metal band’s latest CD release, fights with his partner and ends up taking refuge in his sister’s attic overlooking the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

Will salvation lie via his sister’s son Matt’s school band called ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or through Matt’s mate’s MILF (Mother I’d Like to Fuck) mum (Christina Applegate)? Or did watching ‘School of Rock’, perhaps, tip off our hero about the recuperative power of rock, cross-generational inspiration and self-knowledge?

Of course, it’s one of the peculiarities of modern movies that their heroes seem sublimely and conveniently unacquainted with contemporary films. Likewise, Peter ‘Full Monty’ Cattaneo directs this likeable, if unoriginal, rock comedy as if Richard Linklater’s film never existed. Wilson has the pudgy face, sweat band and faux anger but not quite the same manic charisma as Jack Black, and Cattaneo may lack Linklater’s ensemble dexterity but, nevertheless, ‘The Rocker’ is an enjoyable comedy-drama, with a welcome, almost low-key, sobriety that adds to its quiet charm.

Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky’s script is workaday, but Cattaneo sidesteps its inadequacies by concentrating on characters and performances, downplaying the obvious rock wannabe posturing and the film’s predictable gross-out elements, and handling the romantic sub-plot with a welcome lack of self-consciousness and over-accentuation. As a movie, it may not rock, but it rolls along nicely enough.

Author: Wally Hammond

Time Out London Issue 1991, Oct 16 – 22, 2008

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User reviews of this film

caitlin said...

Posted on Oct 28 2008 13:33 Saw this film on saturday itwas very good but I would rather have seen HSM3 but it was mobbed

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saffie said...

Posted on Oct 22 2008 11:09 ZzZzZz! it was really boring !

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immie said...

Posted on Oct 22 2008 07:55 i haven't seen it yet as i'm going with my freinds to see it after college today can't wiat though !!

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caitlin said...

Posted on Oct 20 2008 16:22 Didn't get 2 c this film at the weekend saw the house bunny instead will hopefully see it on saturday

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Rockdude said...

Posted on Oct 18 2008 20:46 Rock on man! This film is awesome!

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Bobby said...

Posted on Oct 18 2008 20:44 Brill film. Go and see it now!!!!!

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caitlin said...

Posted on Oct 16 2008 14:45 I am not 2 sure about wot this will b like will post a comment whn I have seen it!!!!!

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