In the seventies Strange Fruit were at the top of their game, and they lived the rock lifestyle to the max. Even their demise was glamorous...... lightning struck the stage during an outdoor festival. 20 years on and these former rock gods they have now sunk deep into obscurity when the idea of a reunion tour is lodged in the head of Tony, former keyboard player of the Fruits. Tony sets out to find his former bandmates with the help of former manager Karen to see if they can recapture the magic and give themselves a second chance......Like the fictional band, Still Crazy has since fallen into obscurity almost twenty years after it's release.Certainly the studios felt they had another 'The Full Monty' on their hands, but alas, it was not to be. What you get, is a rather wonderful cast having a whale of a time sending themselves up in what isn't just a funny comedy, it's also a drama referring to nostalgia, lost youth, and finding the person you once were.The band are all at their lowest ebb, when we first meet them, living lies, living in fear, owning an unwanted business, and chasing impossible dreams.The cast are wonderful, and they all have their own character arcs in the narrative. One may say that Bill Nighy is the best thing in the film, but whilst he is equally hilarious and tragic, it's Jimmy Nail who puts in the one performance that stands out.And with a cast that includes, Rea, Spall, Davis, and Zoe Ball, that's one big performance.Connelly is also great, he could be classed as the antagonist to their failings, as he's always vexing the band in someway or another.If this were made today, with the same cast, no doubt it would be huge, but if you do come across this film, check it out, it's quite brilliant.

In the seventies Strange Fruit were it. They lived the rock lifestyle to the max, groupies, drugs, internal tension and an ex front man dead from an overdose. Even their demise was glamorous; when lightning struck the stage during an outdoor festival. 20 years on and these former rock gods they have now sunk deep into obscurity when the idea of a reunion tour is lodged in the head of Tony, former keyboard player of the Fruits. Tony sets out to find his former bandmates with the help of former manager Karen to see if they can recapture the magic and give themselves a second chance. Is This Going To Be Remembered By The Oscars? No, Is This Top 250 Material? No, Is This The Funniest Thing I Have Seen In A Long Time? Yes. Now This Music Is Surprisingly Good. All The Performances Were Outstanding...Especially Bill Nighy Because He Was Supposed To Be Playing A Flaky Character & He Does It Well. This Is One Great Movie. I Won't Go Poking Holes In This Movie Because It Sounds Kinda Bad When The Director Died 6 Years Ago. At Times Like Watching This You Wonder If Your Favourite Band Acts Like This...I Doubt Evanescence, 3 Days Grace Or Poets Of The Fall Act Like This...Still Other Bands Might. All In All A Funny Movie.

I wanted to like this movie. I love classic rock and I already liked the cast (those that I had heard of) and it's kind of OK, but just not great. Plot-wise, I knew what I wanted and what I was gonna get. Once great rock band, ravaged by tragedy, time and drugs get back together, against the odds to heal the hurt and pull off a great comeback. To pull off a story this clichéd, the movie needed better script, better acting, bigger scale, bigger budget and more authenticity. As it is it just feels cheesy and the empathy with the 70's rock band seems second-hand, based on folklore and not actually from having lived it. The writers were born in the 30's,so they would have been past it way before the heyday of the band in the film. I guess that's why it just seems clichéd rather than genuine. It was enjoyable mostly, but it's been done better before, several times.

I discovered this gem of a film in the "Hot Picks" section at a local Blockbuster Video store. When I read the synopsis, I though I'd probably like it because it's about a rock band. This film marked the first time I'd ever seen Bill Nighy, who was absolutely brilliant as Ray. He really captured the personality of a rocker with a fragile ego who's fresh out of rehab and torn between his feelings of vulnerability and wanting very much to seem completely "together" and able to just go right back to the "good old days" of Strange Fruit's glory years. I feel that this movie is arguably second only to "This Is Spinal Tap" as the best(and funniest) movie ever made about a rock band. I'd highly recommend it to anyone!