Photo Source: Paramount Pictures
It is a sad-sack saga of a guy on the precipice of fame, only to find himself obsessed with trying to follow in his soon-to-be-superstar friends' footsteps. This is ultimately a rockin' good time at the movies, a winner nearly all the way, in large part thanks to a few superlative performances, primarily by Ben Barnes ("The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian") as hapless loser Neil, who leads himself and his more-talented brother, Ivan (Robert Sheehan), as far away from the kind of success their old mates have as they can possibly get. Although the film is based on this basic truth, a lot is made up along the way, including run-ins with the local mob and a botched attempt by McCormick to kill Bono, eerily well played by Martin McCann.
What the whimsical film, written by comedy veterans Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais along with Simon Maxwell, gets so right is the growing obsession of a man who sees the opportunity of a lifetime slip through his fingers and then makes every possible boneheaded attempt to turn that around. In the process, he drags Ivan into his whole mess, costing his little brother a gig in U2. There are times director Nick Hamm lets all of this careen out of control, particularly with the Irish toughs with whom he lands in hot water. This is the least-convincing part of the film, no surprise, since it is full of movie convention, unlike most of the refreshingly smart story.
Opening with McCormick's planned killing of Bono, the film flashes back and intriguingly charts the rise of U2 effectively, particularly in a bus scene in which Bono and The Edge reveal their new identities. Where it never falters is in the performances of Barnes and Sheehan. The latter is totally convincing as the more-talented sibling whose love for his loser brother doesn't dim, despite the dark trail he is led down. Thanks to Sheehan's work, you could imagine Ivan as the one U2 star who got away. Barnes also is perfectly cast as the hopeless dreamer who can't seem to catch a break. McCann gets Bono's demeanor and mannerisms down pat, a totally convincing impersonation of the young singer. It's only too bad the producers couldn't clear more of the real U2 music catalog for the soundtrack. The film is also noteworthy as the final performance of the late Pete Postlethwaite in a small role as the boys' landlord. His appearance is startlingly diminished, but his spirit is as alive and well as this movie.
Genre: Comedy
Written by Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais, Simon Maxwell
Directed by Nick Hamm
Starring Ben Barnes, Robert Sheehan, Martin McCann, Krysten Ritter
