Bandslam

Time Out says
The marketing for this film might make it look like a bad trawl through a ‘Fame’-meets-‘High School Musical’ dirge of unremitting awfulness, yet despite a join the-dots feelgood scenario and an overlong running time, Todd Graff’s ‘Bandslam’ turns out to be an unexpectedly pleasing treat for teenagers. Although ostensibly about preparations for a US college’s hotly contested Battle of the Bands tournament, the film’s real nucleus is the burgeoning will they/won’t they relationships that form between a nerdy teenage musicologist-cum-manager with a fixation on David Bowie (Gaelan Connell), a luscious Linda Ronstadt lookalike (Vanessa Hudgens) and a tall blonde bombshell (Alyson Michalka).
‘Bandslam’ is far from exceptional, but is saved by decent character development, a cluster of engaging performances and several amusing deadpan moments. Better still, a knowingly hip ‘School of Rock’ attitude to what constitutes good musical taste, coupled with a flock of seminal vintage and indie tunes, edge it towards something a little more agreeable than the majority of today’s generic, pop-laden teen romcoms. And besides, any film that ends with Wilco’s ‘What Light’ is fine in my book.
Details
Release details
Cast and crew
Lisa Kudrow
Charlie Saxton
Gaelan Connell
Vanessa Hudgens
Alyson Michalka