Summer review - THE BEAT BENEATH MY FEET by John Williams

Forget the monopolisation of films about teens with dreams of becoming a rockstar. You'll find that The Beat Beneath My Feet by first time feature film director John Williams, which was presented at the 2014 Raindance Film Festival in the Summer section is a lot more interesting than all that junk.
 
Tom (Nicholas Galitzine) is an introverted kid who escapes the drag of his everyday life by playing guitar and writing songs behind his mother's back, who would not approve. He is lacking a father figure, his father having left his family and constantly hurting his son's feelings with his carelessness and absence. Then, suddenly, a new next door neighbour shows up in his life, impetuously blasting rock music through the thin walls of his flat. 
 
It doesn't take long for Tom to grow fascinated with this mysterious neighbour and soon enough he realises that he is a down and out rock and roll semi-god Max Stone (Luke Perry), now on the run from the law and recovering from the emotional drama of having lost his son, whose death he blames himself for. The two surpass an initial contrast to help each other come out of their shells, and begin bonding as Max teaches Tom to find his own voice. The goal is for Tom to be ready for a battle of the band.

 

The music coming of age comedy drama is a genre that has been all too easily exploited since, quite possibly, the beginning of cinema but more so than even in the last twenty years. To begin with, its nice to see a film of the kind where there is more emotional and psychologic depth than the simple wafer thin storyline of the central character wanting to be famous - which has proved to be quite succesful in the me-me-me generation we live in. To say that seems a little unfair, as the intelligent of the film does not stop there. The humour and the drama carefully balance each other out in clever ways, and this balance is crucial as it makes sure the film remains on a constant level of appeal and never suffers from a moment of dullness.
 
So, much credit goes to writer and co-producer and writer Michael Mueller, whose cleverness also must have suggested he choose a first time feature film director to helm the project. John Williams infuses creativity that in itself is admirable for branching out of the predictability of an all too conventional storyline with a fresh style and even quirky and entertaining uses of animation that allow a more fantasy influence and represent the dreams of the character of Tom on the big screen. It's also clear that careful consideration was used in choosing a suitable soundtrack to the film. The songs Tom sings remain true to Tom's shyness and honesty in revealing expressions of his side of his personality. The Coldplay-like stadium anthem softness may not be everyone's cup of tea, but that of course is a different matter.
 
Finally, one must spare a few words for the acting, the cast composed of a mixture of newcomers and familiar faces. Luke Perry, an iconic TV star, has hardly been better on the big screen yet his greying good looks and his pained voice make him all the more believable as the vulnerable, fragile man who was once a star and is now badly in need of redemption. His restrained magnetism represents the overall impressive balance of The Beat Beneath My Feet to perfection. This is not only a good, solid, crowd pleasing feature that sets itself aside from other films of the kind through a more honest and human approach with comedy and laughter but also with its representation of the ordinary everyday misery.