Fame ★★

However, this is a pit that Fame, a remake of the original 1980 version written by Christopher Gore, does not fall into. Only once does the music somewhat take the viewer by surprise - in the imaginatively named “Cafeteria Jam”, (it’s in a cafeteria) - but the choreography fits the edginess of the track (Damon Elliott) and thus we forgive them. On the whole, the management of the music and dance is what keeps this film afloat. The story itself is not particularly inspiring, as we follow a small and select group of teenagers through their struggle to become stars in their respective genres, from modern dance heroism to hip hop glory. We are asked early on to sympathise heavily with our protagonists, who will have to “pay with sweat” to achieve success, as if theirs was the only career path in the world that required hard work to get the top.

As a result, the narrative runs rather too much like a live audition, and while I applaud Tancharoen for that clever nod to the self-consciousness both of the profession, and the nature of the characters it attracts, I couldn’t help feeling like I should have a list of the cast’s phone numbers in order to book them for the next show. That is not to say that the cast are without talent, indeed, talent is what they are all constantly harping on about. Naughton gives some spectacular vocal performances as Denise, while Iacono gives the most convincing and interesting performance as Neil, whose enthusiasm and naievete land him with a $5000 debt and a jaded view of the world. However, the dialogue is unashamedly cheesy at points, and the setting a little too over the top: why do Americans always have to argue on rooftops? It’s as if Victor and Jenny began their argument on the sidewalk, and then decided that their tiff had progressed to row status, and thus they climbed the fire escape to continue with a more fitting backdrop.