Rock of Ages

Directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray), Rock of Ages takes the idea of being a jukebox show to the next level by shooting almost every song in the movie as if it was a music video. Instead of having the characters interact with each other through song, the way a traditional musical might do, the actors in Rock of Ages all perform their songs solely for the camera and leave it up to the editors to piece their performances together in a way that moves the story along (to the next song…and the next…and the next).  Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand are fantastic as the aging rockers hiding out from the grow-up world behind their jobs as LA nightclub managers. Paul Giamatti is also excellent as the sleaze ball manager who uses his clients solely as a means to make money. The real star of Rock of Ages, though, is Tom Cruise who gives one of the strangest/bravest performances of his career playing zonked-out rocker Stacee Jaxx. He sings pretty well, and looks great up there belting it out on the stage during the movies few actual concert moments, but it’s the off-stage persona of Jaxx, as completely embodied by Cruise, that makes Rock of Ages so incredibly fun to watch.