The Case for Infamy

Okay, okay, I knew going in that this would not be a good film.

I mean, c'mon, it's a remake of quasi-classic Fame, updated for the naughties, using a school that is now technically closed as a backdrop for youngsters with talent taking their first tentative steps into the world of showbiz. The teachers are all ex-sitcom stars (Frasier, Lillith, that one with the high-pitched squeak of a voice from Will & Grace) with Debbie Allen coming back with hair extensions and warnings about big dreams and sweat payments. No leg warmers though. But there were plenty of nods back to the original show - in fact, some scenes were (I am sure) blow-by-blow repetitions.

The storylines are a joke, of course (I would say jokes, but that would imply there was more than one, which could be construed as funny). They are merely links between the performance pieces. Love, ambition, more love... well, I kind of lost interest after the first vain attempts at overcoming what were fairly cliche obstacles, and just waited for the cast of bright young things to shine.

And they could shine. If I had half their talent and looks, I would count myself lucky. It was just a shame then that every song was pre-recorded and every performance horrendously lip-synched. The final "show stopper" put all the main cast in starring roles (of course), including the young actress who never really did seem to overcome her astounding mediocrity for almost her entire school career but graduated nonetheless.

But Fame was never about reality, and this version does not seem to be about drama or performance either. Which does not really leave a lot left for it to be about. Perhaps that is why the cinema was glacially cold. I more pitied the poor children brought their by parents who perhaps thought they were going to relive some 80s memories in a modern way. I hope they were more entertained than I.

Verdict: Fame reaches for the stars, but trips over some 80s leg warmers someone left on the dancefloor and ends up staring at the cafeteria floor. And, as their one cafeteria song-and-dance routine did not spill out onto the streets of New York causing traffic mayhem, well, there wasn't really much of a point to it all, was there? 49% perspiration and 1% inspiration out of 100%.