Archive for June 18th, 2012

Short Take: A great soundtrack and abundance of enthusiasm have trouble overcoming bad writing and forgettable leads

Director: Adam Shankman

Screenwriters: Justin Theroux, Chris D’Arienzo, Allan Loeb

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

Length: 2h 3m

Synopsis: The year is 1987. Sherrie (Hough) is just a small-town girl moving to Hollywood to try and make it on her own as a singer. Right off the bus she stumbles upon The Bourbon, a renowned rock ‘n roll joint run by enthusiasts Dennis (Baldwin) and Lonny (Brand) who recently secured one final gig by rock legend Stacee Jaxx (Cruise) in an effort to save the place from bankruptcy. With not but $17 to her name Sherrie begs for a job as a waitress, and thanks to the fellow begging of its bartender Drew (Boneta) she’s hired on the spot. Naturally, a romance blooms. Misfortune begins to mount, though, as activist Patricia Whitmore (Zeta-Jones) successfully protests the moral filth of The Bourbon and aims to have it shut down. In addition to this, Jaxx’s manager Paul (Giamatti) has plans to cheat the establishment, and a Rolling Stone reporter (Akerman) has written an unfavorable article about Jaxx’s fading career. All of this included with Jaxx’s senseless temperament and unreliability puts The Bourbon behind the eight ball. Will the rock ‘n roll landmark’s luck turn around in time?

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