GARAGE DAYS Rating: (out of 5 stars) Director: Alex Proyas Producers: Topher Dow and Alex Proyas Writers: Dave Warner, Alex Proyas, Michael Udesky Director of Photography: Simon Duggan Cast: Kick Gurry, Maya Stange, Pia Miranda, Brett Stiller, Chris Sadrinna, Andy Anderson Visit the IMDB page for full cast and crew

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Review by: Warren Curry
7/14/03

Rock music, the traditional "underdog story," and R-rated sitcom-style humor are most of the elements that make up Alex Proyas' (The Crow) new comedy, Garage Days. And the film is, more or less, every bit as forgettable as the above description would lead you to believe. While slight movies like this are typically even further undone by their endings, Garage Days' conclusion is actually its biggest asset. It doesn't quite justify sitting through the previous 100 minutes -- which is not a difficult chore, but also not very satisfying -- yet it did elevate the Australian film's status to that of firmly average.

Kick Gurry stars as Freddy, the leader of a rock band trying to find fame and fortune in the slippery world of the music business. The main problem is that his group can't get a gig anywhere. In fact, the one time they do get booked, their inept manager, Bruno (Russell Dykstra), brings the band to the wrong venue. Bruno is then demoted to the less-glamorous role of roadie, and through a chance encounter, Freddy makes it his mission to catch the ear of powerful manager, Shad Kern (Marton Csokas), who is responsible for the success of Australia's biggest rock stars, Sprimp.

Internal problems in the band arise when Freddy shares a kiss with Kate (Maya Stange), the girlfriend of his best friend/guitarist, Joe (Brett Stiller). The fact that Freddy is dating his bassist, Tanya (Pia Miranda), makes this a two-fold problem. A pregnant Kate informs Joe that she is leaving him because of an affair that he has been carrying on, which leads to dangerously obsessive/absurd behavior from the father-to-be. The band is rounded out by drummer Lucy (Chris Sadrinna), the obligatory drug-fiend.

Proyas brings his flashy, comic book informed visuals to Garage Days, and his flair is equally interesting and distracting (the text which punctuates some of the characters' thoughts is definitely the latter). He pulls out all the stops in one scene involving a band dinner with Tanya's parents and ill-timed drug hallucinations, which unfortunately goes a bit overboard. Overall, this material is far more light-hearted than the director's previous work, and it would've been intriguing to see a slightly darker take on the story.

The only interaction that is consistently appealing is that between Freddy and Shad Kern. The musician's naiveté and Shad's lack of ethics play off each other well, with Freddy proving that he can be resourceful when the situation demands it. The broadly comic attempts, mainly concerning the goofball antics of Bruno, are usually insipid misfires. The biggest blunder, though, is the handling of Joe's subplot. To try to endear himself to Kate, Joe starts carrying around a melon, which he has drawn a face on, that acts as a surrogate baby. His mental state deteriorates to the point where he actually believes the object is his newborn child. This development is the one instance where the film makes an awkward dramatic turn, and I still can't decide which is worse -- the idea or the execution of it.

In my review of XX/XY, I mentioned that I would have a difficult time seeing Maya Stange in a different role and not thinking of her as the character Sam in that film -- Garage Days does nothing to change this feeling. This is not to say that Stange doesn't do a good job here, but her character, like just about everyone found in this film, is fairly one-dimensional. Especially given that they don't have much to work with, the cast performs adequately.

Garage Days really means well, and I very much appreciate what the film is trying to say, thanks largely to a very solid pay off. The importance of succeeding on your own personal terms is never a bad point to hammer home, and the message comes through loud and clear. However, it doesn't completely compensate for the fact that this movie's brand of light entertainment relies too much on a stylish look and not enough on a substantive script.

(A Fox Searchlight release. Opens in New York and Los Angeles on July 18, 2003. Expands to more cities at later dates.)