The Rocker Rocks!

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to see a sneak preview of the new film The Rocker starring Rainn Wilson. The film's set in Cleveland (though mostly filmed in Toronto as most of the street scenes make evident--Cleveland doesn't have streetcar tracks in the streets anymore alas) and Wilson plays Fish, a heavy metal drummer who gets kicked out of his band in the 1980s. The hair metal band goes on to success while Fish stews bitterly in low-level cubicle jobs for twenty years. Just when he seems to have hit bottom and almost becomes homeless, he starts drumming for his nephew's emo band and sees a second chance at rock glory. While the film has the standard rock and roll story plot of the band getting big or nearly getting big (I think only my novel The Pornographic Flabbergasted Emus and maybe the Australian film Garage Days don't), it is pretty hilarious. The film definitely shows that Wilson, like his fellow The Office actor Steve Carell, can carry a movie almost by himself. He also strips naked--providing probably the movie's funniest scene ("The Naked Drummer")--proves himself adept at slapstick, and makes Fish a character the audience roots for. If you liked Emus and you're looking for more rock and roll laughs, check out The Rocker!