Sugar Town

"Sugar Town," Allison Anders and Kurt Voss's comedy-drama about life on the fringes of the music world, doesn't have an actual story per se - it's more of a collection of vignettes that don't make a unified whole, but if it's a mess, it's a likeable one.

Following an ambitious young singer (Jade Gordon), a production designer (Ally Sheedy) who makes friends with her, a session guitarist with a pregnant wife who gets a shot at a tour with a Latin singer, a group made up of former British rock stars (amusingly, all played by actual former British rock stars) whose big deal is dependent on Beverly D'Angelo's lust for one of them ("If she had a teenage daughter... but you know how Nick is about having sex with adult women"), and Rosanna Arquette coping with a) getting offered a role as Christina Ricci's mother and b) finding her ex-rock star husband may or may not have fathered a son on tour.

The movie's casual tone leaves a few of these lines unresolved, and if it's a bother that the movie's most unsympathetic character never gets hers, the movie's abrupt ending seems more of a natural progression than a mistake on the part of the writers. References to Fiona Apple and Blur already make it seem a bit dated, but there are plenty of fun moments throughout (such as Michael Des Barres' attempt to pick up Bijou Phillips in a bar and the sight of Arquette bonding with her stepson). Not overly significant, but worth seeing. And it's nice to see Rosanna Arquette in a good movie for once - when her character comments that she hasn't been getting decent scripts, us fans know what she means.

This movie was so much fun. It boasted an incredible cast -- Roseanna Arquette, Michael Des Barres, Beverly D'Angelo, John Doe, Lumi Cavazos, Ally Sheedy, John Taylor of Duran Duran, etc. It gave an inside peek into the lives of mostly has-been rock stars who are still struggling to create and, in some cases, survive. Various stories are interwoven throughout the film and the sweetest and most believable was that of John Doe's character and his family. I found the last scene between him and his wife incredibly touching. Michael Des Barres was scintillating and hilarious, as usual. His scenes with Bjou Philips and Beverly D'Angelo were priceless. Lumi Cavazos was sexy as hell and Richmond Arquette about broke my heart. Great film. Great sets, too -- I wondered if the homes actually belonged to the actors. Ally Sheedy's just looked so lived in and real. I did wonder why she would hire the gal Roseanna Arquette's character recommended -- but I'll say no more. See the movie and have fun!

Everyone was saying to me not to get this on DVD cos its rubbish! But when I first watched it, I really enjoyed it. OK, it may seem a bit cut off at the end but the storyline was really good. It rounded up showbiz life in LA well and gave an insight to how celebrities live. The acting I thought was good too - especially watching John Taylor, who I thought had only one use and that was on a bass guitar. He really surprised me especially at the end as he watched his wife get on well with his "son". Martin Kemp was good also - so Duranies and Spandau fans are equal!! For a movie that took about a week to make, its really good and I advise you to watch it, see what you think. Its a film that cannot be judged unless you have seen it all the way through.

I must admit that I'd never heard of this movie before I came across it at Blockbuster. I decided to pick it up for the cast, not being a particularly big Anders fan. I was rewarded with a low-key, funny and enjoyable 90 minutes. Perhaps it was the short filming period (and I suspect a fair amount of ad libbing by the cast), but the thing I liked best about this movie was that everyone seemed so relaxed and natural. In many cases, I'm sure the performers were less acting and more riffing on their own lives and those of people they've encountered over the years. With the exception of the two "blond ambition" wannabes, everyone in the movie exhibited at least some redeaming characteristics. While I won't say I was particularly drawn to any of the characters, neither was I repulsed by any of them. They all seemed more or less products of their past lives, with the inevitably warped perspective living the "star" lifestyle brings. All in all, a fun way to spend an hour and a half.

Check it out. It's really sweet and funny and well-written. Good performances by all, but especially Jade Gordon, John Taylor (yes, from Duran Duran!), and Rosanna Arquette. They make you write four lines before they'll accept my comments so I'm just going to say I enjoyed it.