It is difficult to review a true story, more so of a controversial nature, since reviewing the film mixes with reviewing the story itself. I will try my best to stick the film alone. Well, it is mediocre at best. First of all it is a musical, but the singing is bad, like really bad. It seems to me that none of the actors is really a singer, but then again why not hire real singers instead? All songs seem boring and uninspired, sung with untrained voices which change register four times in a second in order to be able to reach anything above c1, no volume, no harmonics, no metal in the voices, nothing. Well this is a musical, right? It'd be fine for a high school production but not a full fledged film. The story plot sucks, there is practically no evolution of the characters, and the protagonist puts on a smile through out the film, which is not the tiniest bit realistic, let alone convincing. I understand he has yet a long way to go, but then again, this is not a college project, so it must be judged accordingly. The school teachers are a joke at best (especially the principal), with flat acting (I'm being polite) and even flater background stories.
Don't get me wrong: I watched the movie to the end and was also moved, but just because of the story and because I was constantly mentally projecting out of Harwood's poor performance the real Campbell in a real harsch environment trying to realize his dreams. Had it not been based on a true story, I'd given up after 15 minutes...
Bottom line: a film to watch only if there's nothing else on TV.
Don't get me wrong: I watched the movie to the end and was also moved, but just because of the story and because I was constantly mentally projecting out of Harwood's poor performance the real Campbell in a real harsch environment trying to realize his dreams. Had it not been based on a true story, I'd given up after 15 minutes...
Bottom line: a film to watch only if there's nothing else on TV.