Rock My World (2002) User Reviews

Where WAS this in 2002?

[xavrush89 · 7/10 · 13 October 2003]

I am the worst channel surfer. I almost never find anything good on television unless I just happen to catch the tail end of it. This is one time I lucked out. The movie was just starting and I saw Joan Plowright with a big suitcase, I kept watching, then Peter O'Toole appeared, another good sign. I would watch footage of either of them asleep, and two not-so-stuffy aristocrats posing as their own servants for a rock band was a good enough premise for me.

I was worried this might be something sappy (and there is a schmaltz factor, I admit), but when when PO wound up in bed with a rock musician, I laughed. Alicia Silverstone surprisingly looked the part, she's very Liz Phair-esquire. This actually seems more like a funny episode of a TV show, but I'll take it. If you liked Plowright in "Bringing Down the House" check her out in this. Whoda thunk after Olivier's death she'd be such a sought-after comic actor?

File this one under Guilty Pleasures. It's not hilarious, but fun. Better than a some of Jim Carrey's mugging, for my money. It deserved a theatrical release in the states.

A fun little "sleeper"

[=G= · 6/10 · 7 September 2002]

"Rock My World" - a much better title than "Global Heresy" - tells of a stodgy English Lord and Lady (O'Toole & Plowright) who, in need of cash, play butler and maid in their country mansion to an American rock band on retreat. Most of the comedy in this earnest little "sleeper" comes from the obvious class/culture clashing as the story manages warmth and poignant moments with criss-crossing subplots while keeping the rock music to a minimum. Silverstone, who occupies the entire VHS cover, is little more than a prop with O'Toole and Plowright getting the lion's share of screen time. A slow starter which is a tad corny around the edges, "RMW" is probably suffering from under-marketing as the minimal interest in the film represented by this website is out of proportion to the film's potential mass appeal. Good stuff for PG-13's (language & drugs) and up. (B-)

A rare case of a watchable rock flick

[amir_e_a · 7/10 · 13 April 2002]

This movie is surprisingly good. Unlike in other movies about fictional young pop-rock bands with a personality, the music and the plot are enjoyable throughout; Peter O'Toole is a wonderful bonus. I wonder how could it remain unnoticed in the sad world of "That Thing You Do". One to rent.

not that bad

[kooljock · 12 July 2004]

i saw this movie this morning and thoroughly enjoyed it. While it was not the most intelligent movie ever made, I feel that the previous critique was a bit harsh. This movie was fun, no more no less. Admittedly the actors won't win any awards for their performances but in my opinion they pulled it off. The story was quit shady but at least it wasn't boring and repetitive. I also very much so enjoyed the music. To many movies play the safe road, stealing plots that have been used over and over. This plot was totally new to me and i applaud the movie for that. Silverstone was also as cute as ever. I feel that this movie is completely suffice for something to watch when there isn't anything else on.

Guilty Fun

[taniav · 6/10 · 6 November 2004]

This movie is called "Rock My World" in Canada. It is wrought with absurd cliché's. The sweet innocent band versus the conniving commercial oriented meanie from the record label. The band is purportedly an uberfamous "rock" act, but the songs are corny (think an angry richard marx with a guitar). The band seems more like the ARchies than they do smashing pumpkins...in short its a kids movie, innocent and harmless. Admittedly I enjoyed it, it has some funny one liners and the freshness of youthful rebellion has some appeal to the dreamy inner child, granted the ego is able to get over the silly plot, and enjoy the movie. THe guys are cute, and I was surprised that Alicia silverstone was convincing as a bassist and seems to have finally outgrown the clueless curse/aura. Joan & Peter O'toole ensure the film has class and quality, and are a delight to watch.A fun family surprise. Very easy to poke fun, but I have the thing on tape. Go figure.

Ten years too late.

[jpurvis · 6/10 · 28 June 2012]

Charming ? Of course; it's English. Well, it's not English. Turns out it was shot near Toronto. I had no idea until I checked the IMDb on it. That is the first plus. I was watching endless TV crap.. (sleepless) and this movie appeared. I have always loved Peter O'Toole and there he was. I have not even finished watching it and I am forced to write this review. By the way; this is the first I have ever written. Pardon my inexperience. Imagine the disruption an English lord feels when his wife inveigles him into accepting an American rock band into his castle.. (In England a man's home is his castle) but then imagine how the Lord and Lady gradually win the love of the band and begin to change their views. Good acting for the most part, good direction and not too many of the usual clichés made this movie rise well above the usual TV mediocrity. I think I have to be honest and not give it a ten out of ten but it is certainly worth. .. umm. OK 6.8. These days 6.8 on IMDb is high praise so please give this one a chance and if you happen to decide to write YOUR first review ..? Treat this one kindly. Before I get back to watching the ending Just let me say that this is that this is a surprising success.

Fun and entertaining

[jingizu_z · 7/10 · 12 May 2010]

***Spoiler alert*** Yes this movie is predictable and definitely not award-material. But then it doesn't try to be anything it is not. A fun-filled romp with real funny one-liners, a stellar and very funny performance by Peter O'Toole, a grounding and down to earth performance from Joan Plowright. The band's performance was on the spot, each one playing their role in a deft, comical manner. The music was good though not great but filled out the movie nicely. From some of the negative comments I deduced that the subtlety of some of the humour went over their heads. A good example is the comment about the "strange baseball-like game", well my dear American, that was cricket -from which baseball is derived- and the explaining of it to the ignorant US band was very funny for those that do know cricket. Also no, you were not supposed to wince when Carl broke a window; it was funny how Lord Foxley said "oh yes!" to get more money for breakage and the manager said at the same time "oh no" also referring to the money. Jeez, it seems that every joke must be explained to some people... All-in-all I enjoyed it and had some great laughs! Well worth seeing.

Nice...that's the word

[tributarystu · 5/10 · 10 March 2003]

I enjoy these kind of ideas: make movies about the differences between generations. Usually they are comedies...like this one. What is even more funny, is the fact that this movie, maybe unwillingly, shows how low the desire for good work can be.

SPOILERS

The story is about a music band, who is passing through times of great success. They get even more publicity when one of their band members disappears and they have to find a replacement. Then there is this nice couple, formed from two nice people: Lord Foxley(Peter O'Toole) and Lady Foxley(Joan Plowright). Initially, they had to rent their mansion, because they needed money. Everything would've been okay, if only the maid and the butler would've appeared. As that didn't happen, they decided to improvise, and maybe live a little...they would act for a few days as Benson and...I can't really recall her name. I think Margaret.

Now that you know which the ingredients are, you can most probably guess what the movie will be about. It will be funny, it will be enchanting but it will also be a little disappointing. The thing that disappointed me most was the fact that Ben returned...it was just too predictable...also, it was quite clear what kind of person he would be. I think the characters are quite nice, despite sometimes needing some polishing. A funny idea was the one with the little green car, which brought the newspaper every day. I didn't quite understand why it was always in such a hurry, but I guess that's one thing we can overlook.

As a whole, I think it's a pretty good production.It has good and bad parts, as do most movies, but I'd like to see the full part of the glass: 7/10

Exactly where was this hiding???

[hershykissed26 · 10/10 · 19 June 2004]

This movie was a complete surprise! Today I am finding nothing on TV and this movie shows up and it was actually funny! Love Peter O'Toole!! This movie is filled with an interesting chemistry between the actors. Alicia Silverstone in a rocker-chick mode is quite refreshing b'c she isn't playing a dizzy blonde for once. If this was a true rock band, I'd be standing in line waiting to get their CD and to see them in concert. Love the music.

What It Lacks as a Comedy It Makes Up in Charm

[aimless-46 · 7/10 · 4 September 2006]

"Global Heresy" a/k/a "Rock My World" is an odd little ($12 Million) production that was incorrectly marketed as another "Spinal Tap". I've seen "Spinal Tap" and this is no ......... But what it lacks in comedy it makes up in unpretentious charm.

You wonder what idiot determines the target audience for these productions. With Alicia Silverstone posed in tight silver pants on the poster, they tried unsuccessfully to market it to Gen X viewers; but Alicia has at best a small supporting role and never appears in the pictured outfit so it is no surprise that it did not catch on with that demographic. Peter O'Toole and Joan Plowright play the two main characters and they are unlikely to attract young viewers. Baby boomers are the audience most likely to connect with the film, despite a cast that is a mix of actors older and younger than that group. But boomers are the real rock fans and are old enough to appreciate the subtle script and the underplayed performances of O'Toole and Plowright. Too bad it was not originally marketed to that group.

The original ill-conceived title refers to the name of an American rock band whose founder has disappeared and is feared dead. Needing time to integrate his replacement (bass player Silverstone) into the group, their management company rents an English estate from the impoverished Lord and Lady Foxley where they can secretly rework their material. The couple finds out that they can make even more money by impersonating the servants. Much the same premise as "High Spirits", where O'Toole rented his haunted Irish castle to tourists.

The band members like to party but are basically likable young people and their music is actually pretty good. O'Toole's character starts out as a Lionel Barrymore type curmudgeon but eventually loosens up (big surprise). The two disparate groups learn a lot from each other and the film almost crosses the line into sappy city. Fortunately Plowright manages to hold things together with a performance that nicely grounds things and makes the whole concept seem plausible.

On the plus side the film was nicely shot and has an overall great look to it. And there is a nice bit of misdirection concerning the record company executive that you might or might not see coming-the clues are there but you might miss them.

On the minus side there is an extremely weak homage to George Roy Hill's "Funny Farm"; instead of a speeding mailman "Rock My World" has a Mini driver paperboy who terrorizes O'Toole's character. This bit is not funny the first time and is repeated on countless occasions throughout the film.

Bottom line, "Rock My World" is a good watch for boomers.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

This movie gives cliches a bad name..

[thomas-korn · 2/10 · 5 March 2021]

The first 3/4ths of the movie is chock filled with the blandest of cliches and tropes that it almost put me to sleep. The premise of a "hip" young insanely popular "rock" band having to hide out at the manor of Lord and Lady Foxley - where it turns out, they Lord and Lady have to become the servants due to a scheduling error on their part to send the servants off to vacation was rather flimsy.. There was not quite enough at stake emotionally to fuel everyone's goals...all of which should have collided with hilarity instantly - but it didn't.

"Rock My World/Global Heresy" is a typical "screwball comedy" minus the comedy for the first hour of the movie. There is nothing original, witty or exceptionally clever up till then.

At least until the last act of the film, when the writing suddenly sprang the situations and characters to life. I kept yelling at my tv screen "Where was all this good stuff earlier?"

I would not go out of my way to recommend this, but I wouldn't say no if someone asked.

More than just a drama, and funny, too!

[spoken · 8/10 · 27 December 2004]

This refers to the TV version, so I might have missed something edited out.

After reading the TV listing's blurb I was set for a boring movie. Boy, was I ever surprised. Before the first commercial I was treated to people who have very realistic appearances (they look like everyday people), new takes on some old humor, evil corporate bullying and delightfully lovable English nobility who can pull off a harmless stunt when cornered by life's uglier realities.

Then came the Young People, otherwise known as an American band called Global Heresy, but they weren't the stereotypical, eye-rolling groaners. Definitely hip, loud, raucous and irreverent, they had good hearts as well as useable brains.

I'm not sure why some people have a problem with O'Toole in this role, though I can guess that some people like their dramas straight-up and don't want O'Toole to be comedic. I thought all the main characters were delightful, and O'Toole's portrayal of a nobleman forced to "lighten up" is something special to be seen.

I have *got* to see this again!

Erratic, but still enjoyable enough

[Woodyanders · 7/10 · 12 December 2013]

A hot American rock band hide out at the posh country estate of the stuffy Lord Foxley (delightfully played by Peter O'Toole) and his kindly wife Lady Foxley (a fine and dignified performance by Joan Plowright), who are forced to pass themselves off as measly servants due to financial dire straights. Meanwhile, spunky new bass player Nat (a winningly sparky portrayal by Alicia Silverstone) faces opposition from several group members after she replaces the original frontman who has mysteriously disappeared. Directed with a rather unsteady hand by usually reliable veteran Sidney J. Furie and further marred by a pretty sloppy script by Mark Mills, this somewhat uneasy, yet still lively and hence entertaining blend of comedy and drama never quite manages to find a completely consistent tone and throws way too many narrative threads into the air without getting them to cohere in a wholly satisfying way, but nevertheless somehow oddly works thanks primarily to the spot-on wonderful chemistry between O'Toole and Plowright. Moreover, the sound acting by the able cast holds the picture together: Jaimz Woolvett as charming songwriter Leo, Keram Malicki-Sanchez as the moody Flit, Christopher Bolton as the groovy Carl, Lochlyn Munro as amiable stoner drummer Dave, Martin Clune as shifty record company executive James Chancellor, Amy Phillips as the sweet Georgia, and Alex Karzis as arrogant jerk Ben. A flawed, but overall fun little film.

Crap

[arfdawg-1 · 1/10 · 26 May 2014]

Small crappy Brit film that will bore the crap out of you.

The Plot

Elderly aristocrats Lord Charles and Lady Diana Foxley give their staff - butler Benson and cook Margaret - a one week vacation while the Foxleys visit friends as they have rented out their historic mansion for that week to a multinational corporation. As they are proud people, what no one but the Foxleys are aware of is that they are doing so only because they are in dire financial straits, and desperately need the money to retain their outwardly lavish lifestyle. But when the agency through which they hired the temporary cook and butler for the renters goes bankrupt leaving them with no temporary staff, Lady Diana believes the only way they can get away with this rental plan without incurring a costly penalty or to advertise their financial problems is to act as "Benson" and "Margaret" themselves, much against stuffy Lord Charles' wishes and despite they not knowing how to be domestics.

Peter O'Toole still got it

[nko_123 · 27 February 2007]

"Global Heresy" is a British movie directed by American B action movie director Sidney J. Furie and has a plot that doesn't sound interesting, but the film includes something wonderful. No, isn't Alicia Silverstone. It is legendary actor, living legend you could say, 8th times Oscar nominated Peter O'Toole. O'Toole's performance on the film is absolutely brilliant and it's the only reason why I have the DVD and why I still keep watching it.

In some way the whole film is great. Like I said, the plot doesn't sound interesting, but the director and writer have got good performances from actors and writer has made up good jokes, most of them belongs to O'Toole's character.

Direction isn't worth for an Oscar but it's better than you have used to see in this kind of films. Director Furie hasn't made much bad movies but not much great either. This is his best by far.

20 years from today, this film will be remembered because of Peter O'Toole and Joan Plowright.

Truly entertaining film.

Give a man a mask and he'll show his true face

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 15 January 2018]

A rock band with issues opt for a get away to record some new tunes with a new lead (Alicia Silverstone). Their host are the actual owners, down on their luck, pretending to be the butler and cook. Meanwhile the band's record company is attempting to get them to sign a contract that has fine print they won't like. Since our butler, Lord Foxley (Peter O'Toole ) is also a lawyer, we know where this formula film leads.

The film has charm, but is hardly a classic or even a good comedy. Worth watching one time through.

Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.

Sux in whole new way.

[Travo71 · 1/10 · 11 October 2007]

OK, this was such a total predictable piece a crap. Basically an after school special gone band and insulting to anyone who ever picked up an instrument. Someone was really screwing some studio exec to get this made, geez, and how did they get a cast to agree. I saw it on TV and want my money back. The person that said it said it was new to them, dude, what 0.99 cent bin do you look for movies in. I may be a little harsh but most of these actor I like and for them to lower themselves to this stuff that was probably written by a C average high school student is pathetic. This made Bring it on all or nothing look like the Godfather.

more fun than you would think

[johnack13 · 8/10 · 7 September 2012]

yes, it's cheesy. and yes, it's hard to believe that someone the caliber of peter o'toole would deign to be in a film like this. but i absolutely love this movie. it's nothing more than an enjoyable time filler/waster, but it's not meant to be anything more than that. alicia silverstone does a good job and thankfully lacks the whiny-ness of some of her previous roles (cher - clueless; eve - blast from the past; etc.). i truly think this is one of her better roles, even though it's a smaller film. the actors all look like believable musicians. and the music is good, too. though the plot can be a bit predictable, it's still a good time of a movie. it's nothing that will ever win an award (i think it's even too good for a razzie), but if you're looking for something that is strictly fun and doesn't require any thought, this is a good one to watch.

So what was this about?

[vampyrecowboy · 3/10 · 3 December 2008]

I know, I know.I got this movie because of Alicia Silverstone.

I made a mistake thinking that this was worth my time watching.

Oh, the movie was bad, but worse than that was the music.

The songs are below Backstreet Boys / New Kids on The Block / N'Sync quality.

The songs really sucked.and the script - story-wise, dialogue and overall concept was bad.

So really - what was this story about? And why did Peter O'toole's character have to be so stuffy? This movie is just boring..good if you want to go to sleep.

There are lots of other films in regards to movies about music bads...this is not one of those to really watch and enjoy.

If this is supposed to be the World's hottest band, pop/rock music has really gone downhill and diminsihed in quality.

How they got a record deal is beyond me.

Worse than the script was the really shitty music and horrible lyrics.

And the script is really, really, really boring and pointless.

Fun, with the right mixture of laughs and great music ...

[kechara420 · 10/10 · 19 May 2003]

This film is not Academy Award material, but then, it's not supposed to be. What it IS, is a delightful story about interesting, funny characters who end up being more human and dimensional than you think they will be.

Peter O'Toole and Joan Plowright steal many scenes at Lord and Lady Foxley, while Keram Malicki-Sanchez shines as the band's conflicted guitarist, Flit. Sanchez is an extremely talented musician and songwriter in his own right, and he gives Flit life with his seemingly boundless energy and expressive features. (His eyes alone speak volumes!)

I highly recommend this film to anyone who wants to relax and watch a bit of lighthearted fun.

Cute formula movie

[vchimpanzee · 7 July 2008]

Lord Charles and Lady Diana Foxley have a spectacular house in England, and servants Benson and Margaret. But they can't afford to continue their magnificent lifestyle unless they make some changes.

Benson and Margaret are given time off, and Charles and Diana pose as Benson and Margaret as they rent out the house. An American rock band known as Global Heresy need some quiet time away from the spotlight, and this house will do nicely. The kids act pretty much the way one would expect at first, expecting the servants to do everything for them and bossing them around like they are entitled to whatever they want.

When the kids play their loud music, Charles cannot believe this is what passes for music (I agree with Charles, and unlike the stuffy aristocrat, I never changed my mind about this; nevertheless, the kids have talent). Diana is willing to be hip, though. Eventually, the kids treat them like human beings and even help them do their jobs better.

A couple of dramas are going on in the meantime. Natalie is the band's new bassist after Ben disappeared mysteriously, and she is trying too hard to make a contribution. Some band members just wish she would leave things alone, but others like what she adds to the group, particularly in the area of songwriting.

The band's management want to control the music, while the kids think their new contract will allow them to. But the people in charge don't believe the kids' vision of their music is what will make the most money. James, the man in charge of keeping the band happy, is working undercover to sabotage the band's efforts.

There is actually a third drama: Charles' nerdy but attractive niece shows up to work on a science project and is discovered skinny-dipping. She and her uncle don't get along, but one of the band members seems to have a crush.

Peter O'Toole and Joan Plowright both give fine performances. Plowright especially stands out because her character is so caring. No, this is not the sort of movie either would be known for. But I don't imagine most of us who like this sort of movie would be easily persuaded to see their best work. The other actors are good, for this sort of movie. Alicia Silverstone is different from some of the other characters I've seen her play, but still talented.

If anything, the movie was too short. I would have like to see more story development.

One gag that never worked for me: the evil paperboy. However, when Charles finally got his revenge ... see, the kids didn't know what was actually going on.

It's formula, but I like the formula.

A funny movie

[SteffanyAstroStellar · 8/10 · 19 July 2003]

This movie isn't the next great movie of the world, but it's not all bad either. Joan Plowright and Peter O'Toole play Lord and Lady Foxley, a rather snobby English couple that has nearly run out of money. They rent their house to a music studio, not realizing an American rock band would be staying there. Hilarity and zany hijinx ensue.

The portrayals in this movie are fairly decent. Lochlyn Munro is hysterical as pot smoking Dave, and Keram Malicki-Sánchez puts a lot into his part of Flit. Alicia Silverstone encompasses the part of Nat, a new and talented bassist in the band. However, I think the best part of this movie is the music. It's catchy--perhaps even too catchy (I'll have to songs stuck in my head for days sometimes)--and fairly clever, with good lyrics. The script alone would give it a solid B, but with the music, I'll say A-

Anything absolute gem of a film!

[trajanrome · 9/10 · 26 December 2022]

Whether your a fan of the late, great Peter O'Toole, Martin Clunes, Dame Joan Plowright, or Alicia Silverstone, or just want to watch a charmingly fun movie that is guaranteed to make you feel better about your day, this film should be on your list. O'Toole shines in one of his best performances. Clunes is wonderful at playing the slimy two-faced agent. The chemistry between O'Toole and Plowright is very well done. There are some gems in the film not to be missed: a cricket lesson, a basketball lesson, and the insane newspaper deliverer and his battles with the lord of the manner. Some great lessons on getting along with others are included gratis.

Surprisingly Entertaining

[mrguinness · 31 May 2004]

$3.99 at Wal-Mart, compared with Almost Famous and Spinal Tap and starring Peter O'toole & Joan Plowright. I had to buy it, even though I knew it had to be straight to video crap.

HOW SURPRISED I WAS!!!

While certainly not up to the level of Almost Famous or Puppet Show (I mean, Spinal Tarp), we were pleasantly surprised to find a small gem of a movie. No great "blow you away" music, but it was extremely interesting music to listen too, especially the piano duet with Joan Plowright. Augmentation heaven!

Peter O'toole, one of my all time faves, gives an extremely uneven performance, but I chalk it up to terrible directing more than him. There are moments he and the dialogue shine. Although few, the interactions with his niece are extremely moving, and seeing him taking XTC is a trip! And while this is not Shakespeare, Joan Plowright shows you how talented she really is. I kept thinking of the mom from That 70's Show.

Alicia Silverstone plays the bassist / new member of the band. While she is obviously not a musician, she does a pretty admirable job, in fact, all the band actors come across as actual musicians, in their goofy mannerisms and dialogue... Alicia has the laid back / uber talented bassist thing down pat, IMO.

ESPECIALLY for $3.99, I highly recommend this movie.

a few warnings... 1) The DVD quality is terrible 2) The cinematography is terrible. 3) The very famous director seems like he couldn't have cared less for this production, which is a real shame. 4) The music is by a band called Casino. 5) There is no soundtrack. But there is a Yahoo group. Go figure...

Worth the rental...

[oracle-12 · 8/10 · 27 November 2002]

Although it seems to lack in early plot-development, it's still a cute little story, with some kick-a** tunes! Alicia Silverstone's "bass playing" looks pretty authentic. Lachlan Munro gives a classic performance, on a par with most of the other roles I've seen him in. A must-see.