You Instead (2012)

OK. Will it win an Oscar? No. But, if you like movies about musicians and the music scene, this little flick is not that bad. I enjoyed the realistic feel of the British rock fest scene which is instantly recognizable to anyone who watches documentaries of these festivals on cable TV. No one rocks like rock fans in the U.K. ... I thought the lead actor and actress had chemistry. The film works when it pokes fun at itself. I particularly enjoyed the "Tainted Love" scene. I laughed at the main actor's facial expressions and was really impressed with his singing voice. As a baby boomer and the mother of a budding rock musician, I loved watching a younger generation take an old '80s song and make it sound fresh and relevant to today's audiences.

For anyone who loves music and music festivals this film is a treat. It's a great premise; make a film about a love story during a actual huge outdoor music festival. You have to keep in mind that the logistics of doing this had to have been a b**ch. This is not a cult film, or a classic, or a carefully crafted under control movie. It is what it is: a simple rock and roll fantasy, probably sketched out in general and then written as filming progressed to take advantage of what was going on at the event. I applaud the filmmakers for having the b*lls to attempt this, and then coming away with a sweet story with fun characters and a good feel of the festival spirit.

Look. This movie is not going to win any awards. It's very short and honestly, there's NOT a whole lot of actual story here. However, I thought it was a nice little distraction. I enjoyed the chemistry between the two main characters. Are they gonna win Oscars for their acting? Eh. They were obnoxious but I liked them. The music was great. I loved hearing all the new songs and hearing some old ones in a whole new way. Actually, I really enjoyed all of the music in the movie. Is this movie gonna change your life? Nope. It's definitely not going to do that. Sometimes a movie just is what it is and that's OK! Give it a chance....

Difficult to know where to start with this one, as there is so much that is wrong with You Instead that I could easily fill twice IMDb's word limit and then some. Here are a few basic points: The plot is so slight and implausible as to be almost non-existent. In the hands of a good director this would not necessarily be a bad thing if the ensuing action was engaging, funny or persuasive. Sadly, none of it is - 'Somewhere' this is not. Indeed, it has all the hallmarks of a film that started shooting without a fully realised script and has relied on improvisation and hasty rewrites to get by - ie. a lack of narrative drive which is further hobbled by stilted dialogue, devoid of the sparkle or wit that you need if you're basic premise is as flimsy as You Instead's is. I sense that there was an attempt to construct some sort of episodic structure to make up for this lack of cohesive plot, but none of it knits together, satisfyingly or otherwise. The filmmakers will probably claim that it's meant to capture the spirit of T in the Park and that it's aimed at a young audience. But that cannot excuse this long ribbon of tripe, which would be only slightly more convincing if it was presented as the product of a student project. No doubt You Instead be funnelled into that most dubious of categories 'Cult Classic', but don't be fooled, folks, avoid!