ROCK OF AGES

US, 2012, 123 minutes, Colour.
Julieanne Hough, Diego Boneta, Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Catherine Zeta- Jones, Malin Akerman, Bryan Cranston.
Directed by Adam Shankman.

Do you remember the 80s? Perhaps the wrong question for potential audiences of Rock of Ages. They may have not been born then or were very young. This reviewer remembers the 80s but not the 80s on display here. We live in our own worlds and, of course, we have our own music tastes – though I do remember a couple of songs heard (and seen) here.

The scene is Los Angeles. The particular scene is a club on Sunset Boulevard. Inside, it has lots of rooms for yelling and rocking devotees – and some backstage rooms which lend themselves to the kind of activity that anti-rock campaigners complain about. Across the street is an area for gathering and, here, for protests, led by some devout women who want to clean up the strip. Speaking of strip, there is also a ‘gentlemen’s club’ venue for some of the action, plenty of poles and plenty of ‘dancers’.

But, I do remember that in 1984, Footloose was released, a story of a strong-minded pastor (John Lithgow) who wanted to ban rock and roll from his town – but Kevin Bacon arrived to convert people to the music and the dance. Rock of Ages has its eye on Footloose and its issues (and has a reference in the credits – and the star of Rock of Ages, Julianne Hough, starred in the 2011 Footloose remake). Of course, the protesters tend to be Christian narrow minded citizens (and some of them live double standards, the more the protest, the more the hypocrisy).

Rock of Ages tends to be loud, sweaty and gyrating – which makes the experience, for audiences who have not been transported back to the 80s, something of an endurance. Otherwise, you might want to get up and dance in the aisles because the songs come fairly frequently and are imaginatively sung by many of the cast with intercutting editing. And all the cast, a number of whom you have not heard sing before, belt out the numbers. This is particularly true of Tom Cruise, all tattooed, long-haired, shirt off (and sweaty), as the ageing rock star, Jacey Staxx. But, at 49, Cruise (who showed his athleticism in his previous Mission Impossible movie) is certainly vigorous and rocks the songs out himself. Even Alec Baldwin as the manager of the club and Russell Brand as his assistant, and more than friend, get into the action. And even Paul Giamatti as a cynical promoter. Catherine Zeta Jones has sung to Oscar effect in Chicago. Here she is the leader of the protestors (with, of course, a guilty secret).

However, this is one of those old (very old) tales of the ingénue who leaves Oklahoma to be a singer in LA and falls in love with the barman in the club who also wants to sing. Actually, both Julianne Hough and Diego Beneto, do quite a lot of singing, but their love, misunderstandings, reconciliation, run along the expected lines. Despite poking fun at Boy Bands who did become popular in the 90s, music taste has meant that what has lasted is the Rock and Roll of Ages.

1. A celebration of the 1980s? Rock ‘n roll? A film of nostalgia? Satire?

2. 21st century movie musicals: songs, dance, plots, characters, familiar conventions? The insertion of the songs into the plot? The lyrics and the tone?

3. Rock ‘n roll, the title of the film, from the 50s to the 80s, the music, rhythms, lyrics? Antagonism towards rock ‘n roll? Accusations of hedonism? Sex and drugs? Religion, religious protest?

4. The range of 80s songs, the groups and their popularity in the time? 21st century versions? The cast all singing their own songs? The staging, the editing?

5. The story of boy meets girl, Sherrie, from Oklahoma, on the bus, singing with the people? Her dreams? The song of Paradise in LA? Her being robbed? Drew trying to help her? His getting her the job? Dennis and Lonny? Drew and the love song for Sherrie? Dennis allowing Drew to perform? The lyrical love story? Sherrie and her meeting Stacee Jaxx, breaking the whiskey bottle? Drew’s misjudgement, reaction? Sherrie quitting? Her meeting with the manager of the club? Getting a job, dancing, getting money, meeting Drew at the Hollywood sign where they had met before? Discovering the truth? Her supporting Drew? Drew, at the bar, his band, the performance and his success, the agent and the discussion, the deal, the boy band? The failure? Being booed off stage? Going on stage together, the rock ‘n roll song, the happy ending?

6. Dennis and Lonny, managing the club, types, Lonny as the MC and his ironic introductions? The protests outside? Stacee Jaxx, the crowd, allowing Drew to be the supporting act, success? Paul and his taking all the money? The taxes? Dennis and Lonny falling in love – and the love song and the kiss? Paul and his offer, the failure of the boy band, Stacee Jaxx returning – and a future for the club?

7. Lonny, the type, the job, the MC work, the quips, relationship with Dennis, attacking Patricia, finding the album and her photo?

8. The mayor, the meetings, elections, Patricia and her campaigns, the women and their songs, in the church, protest outside the club? The challenge? The truth about Patricia being a groupie? At the end at the performance? The husband, his secretary, sexual misbehaviour?

9. Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx? The rock stars of the 70s and 80s? Personality, career, women, money? His character, lack of it? The monkey? His selfishness, performing? The interview with the journalist, the sexual encounter, his reading the article, his anger, firing Paul, the concert, the journalist turning up again? His relationship with her? Success?

10. The journalist, prim and proper, the interview, her behaviour, songs? Rolling Stone as a magazine, the editor? The journalist and her finally being with Stacee Jaxx?

11. Paul, the portrait of a cynical and manipulative agent? Money, careers?

12. The overall impact – and a memory of the rock ‘n roll scene in Los Angeles in the 1980s?