CBGB

US, 2013, 101 minutes, Colour
Alan Rickman, Donal Logue, Alan Rickman, Marlin Akerman, Justin Bartha, Richard de Klerk, Johnny Galecki, Rupert Grint, Freddy Rodriguez, Bradley Whitford.
Directed by Randall Miller.

CBGB is a film for music specialists, especially those interested in the growth of groups in the latter part of the 20th century, especially in the United States, in New York. The title refers to the name of the club purchased and developed by entrepreneur, Hilly Krystal, who had a talent for discovering talent but who was without talent in financial management.

One of the surprises of the films is to see Alan Rickman in the central role of Hilly Krystal, with his makeshift approach to life, to his club, to his bankruptcies, to his interactions with the musicians, giving an opportunity to play, wanting only original music. Rickman does not look like himself and other films, he with shabby clothes, uncontrolled hair, wandering through life and literal dirt to achieve his ambitions for music in the club. He originally wanted country and blues music but what developed was the Punk movement of the 1970s and 80s, with his being considered a godfather of Punk.

Included in musicians playing at his club were Patti Smith, The Ramones, Talking Heads. Talking Heads honoured him at their induction into the Hall of Fame at which he was present.

Audiences not familiar with the characters or the music may be put off at first, but the film is worth a look for the performances and this glimpse of developments in popular American music.

1. The film for those who know about 20th-century American music, its history? Punk? A portrait of an era?

2. The story, characters? Hilly Krystal, his personality, love of music, his grungy lifestyle, an idealist, his talents for picking musical ability, the ups and downs of his life, achievement? Talking Heads and their inviting him to the Hall of Fame ceremony?

3. The US in the 1970s and 1980s, New York City, the Bowery, the streets, the dirt, the club, the dog and excrement and the rats, performances, the feel of the club? Music? Business, competence and incompetence?

4. The range of groups, original music, the auditions, the types of musicians, their look, clothes, hopes? Punk? The Dead Boys?

5. The visuals of the film, conventional? But the use of illustrations throughout the film from the magazine, Punk, the artist as a character, his friend, the ambitions of the magazine, the interviews, the contributors? The frames, the captions, the information, the legal, cartoonlike?

6. Alan Rickman as Hilly, his appearance, hair, clothes, his background, his mother, borrowing money? The absence of information about his wife and son, the presence of his daughter? His friends, Merv and his support? The bankruptcies, the visits to the bank? Borrowing?

7. The club, his ambitions, the venue, buying the property, the signs, CBGB, the subtitle? The space, for performance, for audiences? The office? Lisa and the finances and working in the office?

8. The drug addict, and his presence, Hilly helping him, his interest in the club? Taxi, his background, the sound mixing, his wanting to leave, his staying, the final tribute to his work? Merv, his hardhat, clashes, advice, friendship?

9. The variety of performers: Patti Smith, Talking Heads, The Ramones, Television, Iggy Pop, the Dead Boys – the details of the performances?

10. The cartoonist, his work, the magazine, his friendship with Mary Herron, the film director? The agents, especially the woman wanting to get the finances for the Dead Boys? Going on the road, their personalities, punk, ignorant, performances, the destruction of their vehicle and the instruments? Hilly giving them a second chance?

11. Hilly’s mother, the loans, her visit to the bar, people looking after her?

12. Lisa, her angers, her reaction to her father, wanting to help, get a job, her studies, taking over the finances, the bookings, all the paperwork and her getting it in order?

13. Hilly, surviving over the decades, the difficulties, his achievement?

14. The final information before the final credits about the characters and their careers?