Sugar Town

Los Angeles may be full of rock and film stars but it is also full of those that used to be stars and those that want to be stars. On the edge of the LA scene is one band of former rock stars looking to rekindle the success they had together in the 1980's. Around them are an equal number of wannabes looking for the dream break whether it be getting a good part in a good film or making a record with a producer with at least one Grammy to his name.

Those unsure of whether or not they will like this film or not need only watch any 5 or 10 minute window of it and they will get the idea. This is because the film doesn't really seek to have a definite narrative in the sense of "this happened, that happened then this happened" but rather is about a particular scene and the characters within it. As such it does what it does well consistently across the film and, although some viewers won't like it, it is reliable if you do. For me I quite enjoyed it mainly because I found the characters quite engaging – perhaps not all that likable but interesting at least. It helps that Anders and Voss have written convincing characters and given them dialogue that rarely falls flat. It isn't anything amazing though and viewers shouldn't expect to be gripped or experience anything too strong in regards emotions.

The cast respond pretty well to the film being based on characters rather than actions and they mostly turn in good performances. The likes of Kemp, Des Barres and Taylor are understandably convincing and perhaps a little brave for opening themselves up to the risks within the story. Sheedy is not really in the main story but is still good as she delivers a frustrated and nervy character, manipulated by the ruthless side of others. Arquette is impressive in a role that again she was brave to take simply because of the comparisons that could have been drawn out by the directors. I found Doe to be a bit flat and Klein to be an bit difficult to like but generally everyone responded well.

Not a great film by any means but it is quite engaging and enjoyable. Some viewers will be frustrated by the lack of narrative flow and will perhaps not like the characters but generally it does work. I doubt it will stick with me and I wouldn't have wanted to spend too much longer in this world but for 90 minutes it was interesting and amusing.

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.

"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.

As usual, another Allison Anders film has come into my radar screen, and, as usual, I enjoyed it. Allison has a wonderful way of taking real life and showing it with non-judgmental truth. She takes the old adage of theatre "holding a mirror to life" and puts in on film.

Sugar Town, as with all of her works, creates rich characters in a short time. Despite having so many characters get a significant chunk of the plot, the characters are based on recognizable truisms. You know who these people are quickly enough without it feeling stereotyped or one-dimensional. It gives you the sense that you know them quickly, quickly enough to get into the twisted maze of interconnected lives she weaves for her characters.

The actors cast in this script, while admittedly playing parts written with them in mind, slip into their skins with ease. Noteworthy moments for me include the first time I've looked at Beverly D'Angelo and NOT wondered where Chevy Chase was hiding their vacation plans. Michael Des Barres was deliciously bad, nevermind the typecasting. John Taylor's acting debut surprised me. As a fan of his for a number of years, I'd seen his early "acting" attempts in Duran Duran videos and the odd British sci-fi show "Timeslip". They weren't exactly Oscar material. Here, he proves that he can carry a script as well as a tune, and not get upstaged by a cute kid in the process.

The world will not change because of this movie, nor was I moved to any form of emotional revelation. What I did get was a good laugh and a bit more affirmation that I'm quite glad I let the teenage dream die and never tried to move into the music industry.

I loved it. It's a good movie. Very Allison Anders-y (if you've seen any of her other films, you know she has a distinct style). Little stories told in parallel, sometimes intersecting, sometimes not. There is no Grand Plot, no apocalyptic scene...just characters, people, doing their thing. Kept my interest completely (yes, even in scenes that didn't include John Taylor *wink*) from start to finish, and I refuse to divulge any critical details, because the movie's better if you go into it not knowing too much.

WILL, however, say a few things:

* JT is _really_ good in it! Who knew he'd be such a good actor? Yes, he's playing himself, basically, but still. He does a _great_ job. *Proud Johnfan Moment* :)

* Michael Des Barres is, as usual, delightful and hilarious.

* Martin Kemp employs a kickass Cockney accent (but then, he IS on EastEnders nowadays, and is also quite good.

(who knew these musicians could act?!!)

* The woman who played Tita in the movie "Like Water For Chocolate" is in Sugar Town.

* Allison used real Duranies to play fans in the movie, bless her. One, Alyse, even uses her real name when 'Clive' (played by John) signs an autograph for her.

* some of the dialogue is unintentionally hysterical, because it SO parallels the real lives of the actors-- e.g. Clive remarks to his bandmates that they were all in "seminal bands [of the 80s]", and it is also mentioned later in the film that "in the early 80s, our singer landed no fewer than 42 magazine covers in _one year_...", prompting giggles from me and surely any other fan of 80s pop bands.

What's it ABOUT??? I'm not telling. Surprise is good.

The best line in the movie is Clive's:

"Because on that tour I made a point...of only getting blow jobs."

(he's denying that he had sex with a fan)

(I howled)

K. -- kellygirl