BandSlam (PG)
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Caution: potential spoilers, maybe?

First of all, I need to say that this movie was so much better than I expected it to be. It didn't take too long for me to think I'd end up rating it three smileys, which was better than I expected. Eventually I started seriously thinking about 4 or 4 and a half smileys. Ultimately, yeah... I think one heart is about right. I did love the movie (though there are certainly movies I've rated lower that I actually thought were better; that happens, sometimes). Also I should say I wasn't quite sure where to put my review. I was thinking probably "quirky," but then... I'm not sure the movie really is particularly quirky. It's definitely somewhat quirky, but... I guess seriocomedy is probably best, but... I dunno. Whatever, it's not important. I also could have put it under "coming of age," I guess.

Anyway, there's this high school kid named Will Burton, who gets picked on at his school in Cincinnati. The other kids call him "Dewey," but we don't learn the tragic reason for this until much later. Very early in the film, his mother, Karen (Lisa Kudrow), gets a new job in New Jersey, thereby fulfilling Will's greatest wish, which is to move and start fresh at a new school. He soon meets a girl named Sa5m (the 5 is silent; played by Vanessa Hudgens), and gets partnered with her in a class assignment to give a creative report on who their partner is. He also soon meets an older girl (a senior; I'm not sure of Will or Sa5m's grade) named Charlotte (Aly Michalka). She volunteers at a daycare center, and also is in a band. The main point of the movie is that there's this upcoming battle of the bands, and the winner will get a record deal. There's one band called Ben Wheatley and the Glory Dogs, who apparently came in second last year, to th Burning Hotels. And this year, the Burning Hotels are the main competition, which makes no sense to me, if they won... why the hell are the in the competition again? But maybe I misunderstood something. Anyway, Charlotte used to be in the Glory Dogs, but she quit after her father got sick. And awhile after that, I guess Ben (her former boyfriend) fired a couple of other guys in the band, Bug (bassist) and Omar (guitarist). So now, Charlotte, Bug, and Omar are in their own band... called the Glory Dogs (they reason that the other band's name is "Ben Wheatley and the Glory Dogs," which is different, sort of).

Anyway, Will knows a lot about music. So Charlotte makes him the manager of her band, and he eventually renames it "I Can't Go On, I'll Go On." I thought the band was fairly decent before he got involved, but he definitely made it a lot better. He insists on adding a drummer (but the band chooses the guy they want). Will also adds a keyboardist, cellist, trumpet player, trombone player, and saxophone player. Meanwhile... Will starts to like Sa5m romantically, but also thinks Charlotte is really cool. And Sa5m (who doesn't trust Charlotte) suspects Will is falling in love with Charlotte. And... I don't really know if I want to say anything more about the plot. Obviously I Can't Go On, I'll Go On will compete in Bandslam, against Ben Wheatley and the Glory Dogs, and other bands who we don't see until the competition actually starts. And there's the whole question of who's really right for Will, whom he'll end up with. But it's kind of weird, because... well, I mean, it's kind of obvious, but at the same time... there's this sort of attempt to make things seem... Gah, I don't know what to say without spoiling anything.

The movie has a number of cliches going on, but it also tends to play against cliche. Even when it seems like it's going to end up one way... it sort of doesn't. What I mean is... I don't think there are really any bad people, which in a way almost seems like a weakness, like the writers don't want too much conflict, or whatever. But in truth, I think it's sort of more realistic. Sometimes people do bad things, but it doesn't really mean they're actually bad people. I find it kind of refreshing to have characters who can't just be clearly defined as bad or good, and to have people maybe regret some of the things they do. Anyway... the movie is pretty funny, and also has some genuine personal drama, and I like how it occasionally makes jabs at certain tropes, and how it uses social media in the end (you know, not everyone who loses American Idol is doomed to obscurity). Oh oh oh, and I almost forgot to say that Will has this quirk of constantly writing e-mails to David Bowie, who of course never responds. But... there's a big payoff to that plot point, in the end. And... of course there's plenty of good music in the movie. And... I dunno, everything about the story just works okay? I like the characters, and everything seems fairly real, and... the happy ending is well-earned.