Rock of ages movie movie#

Rather than being outrageously larger than life, CruiseвЂ™s Stacee seems to honestly be wondering where he is, how he got here and if anybody can help him get back to where he wants to be. Cruise sings credibly вЂ“ heвЂ™s as good as a lot of the guys Stacee stands in for вЂ“ but whatвЂ™s surprising is the wary soul he brings to the part. Cruise is such an iconic figure that itвЂ™s easy to buy him as the movieвЂ™s biggest cultural icon. Although one is a song and the other a human being, thereвЂ™s a certain similarity between вЂњDonвЂ™t Stop BelievinвЂ™вЂќ and actor Cruise, at least in the way the two are employed. вЂњDonвЂ™t Stop BelievinвЂ™вЂќ has taken on a renewed life of its own by now, but somehow that resonance simply helps sell its use here (one of ROCKвЂ™s deadpan jokes is that this is a composition by our hero Drew). There are misunderstandings, betrayals, reconciliations galore and rock and pop anthems every few seconds. An intimate concert by the legendary band Arsenal before its frontman Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) goes his own way is meant to buoy up the fortunes of the Bourbon. Other concerns for the Bourbon Room include self-styled moral crusader Patricia Whitmore, whose husband is the mayor (Bryan Cranston). Drew promptly gets Sherrie a waitress job at the Bourbon, where rock-loving manager Dennis (Alec Baldwin) is constantly worried about the nightвЂ™s receipts, but buoyed up by his loyal assistant Lonny (Russell Brand). She almost immediately meets Drew Boley (Diego Boneta), an aspiring rocker who works as a busboy at the famed Bourbon Room on the Sunset Strip. Here HoughвЂ™s Sherrie gets off the (singing) bus to Los Angeles, hoping to start a career as a singer. Not having seen the stage version but simply comparing the lists of character names, it would seen that the screenplay by Justin Theroux and original Broadway scripter Chris DвЂ™Arienzo and Allan Loeb has gone through some changes in its journey from one medium to another.

Not incidentally, the film ROCK OF AGES, like the film HAIRSPRAY, is directed by Adam Shankman, a former choreographer who seems to take special delight in showcasing the considerable terpsichorean talents of the leading ladies here, especially Julianne Hough as ingГ©nue Sherrie Christian and Catherine Zeta-Jones as the vengefully censorious Patricia Whitmore.

Despite the depiction of groupies, copious alcohol consumption, evil business management practices and some extras who look like theyвЂ™ve danced out of ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, ROCK OF AGES has at heart an innocent optimism that makes HAIRSPRAY look cynical by comparison.

Rock of ages movie movie#

In the case of ROCK OF AGES, what we get is a movie about a small-town girl and a city boy вЂ“ yes, that is a reference to вЂњDonвЂ™t Stop BelievinвЂ™,вЂќ a song that we hear several times throughout the film вЂ“ caught up in the big bad world of the Hollywood music scene. This sort of set-up could go any which way the wind blows. A вЂњjukebox musical,вЂќ for those unfamiliar with the term, is a show with a non-original score вЂ“ in this instance, think MAMMA MIA!, but with Eighties rock and pop instead of ABBA songs. ROCK OF AGES the movie is adapted from ROCK OF AGES, the Broadway jukebox musical.

Writers: Justin Theroux and Chris DвЂ™Arienzo and Allan Loeb, based on the stage musical book by Chris DвЂ™Arienzo

Stars: Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Malin Akerman, Bryan Cranston, Paul Giamatti, Mary J.