Viena and the Fantomes

A movie about a roadie travelling with a punk band. Starring Ellie Fanning as a roadie who joins a punk band, who is the best thing in this rather boring but well shot movie. I appreciate the movie is shot from Viena's perspective (Ellie Fanning), but it was dull, Even having some more music would have been good. For a good Punk Roadie movie, although very different, I suggest "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains" starring a young Diane Lane.

This movie is more of a cautionary tale than anything else. I was drawn to it by the incredible cast and after watching it, I found my s/o and I talking about the scenes for the next few days, analyzing, questioning, critiquing. Yes, the film dropped the ball on backstory..but maybe that was the point. We were supposed to follow this girl in this moment in time and that's it. Dakota Fanning (not Ellie, as another reviewer mistakingly called her) was phenomenal as Viena and her love triangle outlined the harrows of an abusive relationship juxtaposed next to a functional and passionate one. I was left wanting to see more of the band and yes, I craved that back story, but I was happy with the result of this movie. Frank Dillane and Caleb Landry Jones were exceedingly fun to watch, as usual. For those who say it meanders, I think that's the point. It escapes from you and with you. And who doesn't love a happy ending?

To start telling the story of this film, would be useless because there is no story. If you can a girl who hangs out with the members of a band in their trailer in the middle of nowhere a story. I don't think there is one single good thing to say about it, in spite of the group of talents in it, the script is beyond bad, so it's just a complete waste of time.

Why did I just watch that? Is it supposed to be a bad version of Almost Famous? There was no point to this movie at all, no story, no likeable character, no nothing. Just a bunch of bums hanging around in a van on the road in the middle of nowhere, drinking and having sex. Dakota looked like a cadaver in this movie.

In downbeat rock drama "Viena And The Fantomes" Dakota Fanning joins a rag-tag crew of roadies / assistants (inc Frank Dillane (Deppesque) & Evan Rachel Wood) supporting a mid-rate new-age punk band (inc Jeremy Allen White, Caleb Landry Jones & Zoë Kravitz) while on the road on tour. Amid tawdry sex, drugs & rock 'n' roll Fanning's torn between Dillane & Allen White as the darker, seedier, mysoginistic, even violent side of the band emerges (esp through Landry Jones & dubious manager Jon Bernthal). It's well performed by the fine cast, and written & directed in original punchy style by Gerrado Naranjo, yet still feels rather inconsequential in the end.