I Used to be Famous – Movie Review
Director: Eddie Sternberg
Writer: Eddie Sternberg, Zak Klein (Screenplay)
Cast
- Ed Skrein (Deadpool)
- Eoin Macken (The Cellar)
- Leo Long
- Lorraine Ashbourne (King Kong)
- Eleanor Matsuura (Wonder Woman)
Plot: Follows Vince, a desperate former popstar who dreams of making a comeback. An impromptu jam session with autistic young drummer Stevie sparks an unexpected friendship between the two misunderstood musicians.
Runtime: 1 Hour 44 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: I Used to be Famous starts as former boyband popstar Vince (Skrein) has seen his former bandmate Austin (Macken) become one of the biggest musicians in the world. Meanwhile, Vince is struggling to make ends meet, trying to find gigs in local pubs in London.
When Vince discovers an autistic young drummer Stevie (Long), he finds himself getting internet fame. Giving him hope he could kickstart his career again, only for Vince to struggle to deal with his past and what caused his original loss of fame.
Verdict on I Used to be Famous
Characters
Vince was once in the most popular boyband in England, after they split, he finds himself struggling to make ends meet. He finds himself wandering the streets of London desperate to find a place to perform and soon he discovers a drumming prodigy. Vince needs to face his past traumas if he is ever going to make a life in music again.
Stevie is an autistic young man who uses drumming to calm himself. He is talented and finds Vince at a time when Vince could help him improve. Stevie has been guarded by his mother his whole life, this could be a chance for him to take on the world.
Amber is Stevie’s mother that has protected him for years, encouraged him and known how to handle the difficult moments. Stevie is the most important part of her life, and she puts him first in everything in life.
Austin is the former bandmate of Vince’s; he has gone on to become a massive success. His success is everything Vince wanted in life and the connection together is what helps get Vince in doors.
Performances
Ed Skrein in the leading role is fantastic, he brings the emotional punch to a broken man craving his success again. He brings all the conflict his character is going through and an excellent singing performance too. Leo Long is wonderful as Stevie, the autistic performance feels genuine throughout the film. In the supporting performances, everyone is great too.
Story
The story follows a former pop star that wants to recapture his fame and face his former demons when he discovers an autistic drummer who loves music. The two strike up an unlikely friendship as Vince finds a new reason to care about the people around him.
This plays out like every feel-good movie focusing on the changes both men bring to each other’s lives. Showing the difficult decisions that need to be made and the unity to become a team. It hands everything so well, putting the spotlight on being accepting of people that are different, as well as focusing on opening doors to a brighter future for everyone. This is one of the best feel-good experiences you will get from a movie this year.
Where to Watch: I Used to be Famous is available on Netflix.
Final Thoughts – I Used to be Famous is the ultimate feel-good movie of the year.
