Cast: Gina Gershon, Drea de Matteo, Lori Petty, Shelly Cole, Marc Blucas, Eddie Driscoll, Ivan Martin
Director: Alex Steyermark
Producers: Gina Gershon, Donovan Mannato, Gina Resnick
Screenplay: Cheri Lovedog, Robin Whitehouse
Cinematography: Antonio Calvache
Music: Stephen Trask, Cheri Lovedog
U.S. Distributor: MAC Releasing
Some movies simply don't get a fair shake. Take Prey for Rock and Roll, for instance. Originally slated for limited U.S. distribution during the fall of 2003, the film showed in only a handful of venues before vanishing altogether. Planned openings in several secondary markets were canceled at the last minute ("print unavailability" was the official reason), and the movie was seen by no more than a few thousand viewers. It's too bad because, although Prey for Rock and Roll isn't a classic, it is better than at least 50% of what's out there. Hopefully, the video release will give it an opportunity for some exposure.
The majority of movies about rock and roll are rags-to-riches, feel-good valentines. They relate how a hard-working musician finally attains his dream of stardom, but only after years of hard knocks. The tale has been told so often that it has become a cliché; fortunately, that's not on Alex Steyermark's agenda with Prey for Rock and Roll. He has a grimmer, less glamorous vision. And, to further differentiate this from an "average" rock and roll picture, he focuses not on a group of naughty boys, but of grunge girls.
The film is narrated by Jacki (Gina Gershon), a 39-year old rocker who is just days away from her 40th birthday. She has spent most of her adult life in bands, devoting 20 years of sweat and tears to a passion that hasn't given much back. She's never had a recording contract, and she's lucky if she gets more than $13 for a gig. But it's the music and the audiences that keep her going, not the pay. Still, with middle age approaching, she begins to wonder at what point she becomes a joke. When is it time to give up and admit that her lifelong dream is never going to be realized? But what does she have to fall back on once she gives up this life?
Jacki has three current bandmates. Tracy (Drea de Matteo) is a "trust fund girl" with a penchant for being late for rehearsals and a little too much fondness for booze and coke. She could easily be cut loose if it wouldn't be nearly impossible to find someone with equal talent on the bass. She has a steady boyfriend, an obnoxious bottom-feeder named Nick (Ivan Martin), who is universally loathed by the other band members. Sally (Shelly Cole), the youngest of the group, is on drums, and Faith (Lori Petty) is the lead guitarist. They are lovers, and the attraction appears to be as much romantic as sexual. Faith is the most optimistic of the group, and Sally's vulnerability comes in part from her fragile looks and in part from her gloomy past. Her brother, improbably named Animal (Marc Blucas), has just gotten out of jail for manslaughter, and has come to live with Sally (and, consequently, the group, since they are all in the same house).
Despite the pseudo-documentary look of the film (otherwise known as the "low budget indie look"), Prey for Rock and Roll often leans heavily into the realm of melodrama. Just about every imaginable bad thing has happened to or will happen to these characters. Two are brutally beaten, one is drug addicted, two were molested as children, one is raped, and that list doesn't include a variety of minor indignities. Some will argue that the movie has a socio-political ax to grind about the exploitation of women (it probably does), while others will remark that film's seeming excesses represent a microcosm of the hardships undergone by female rock and rollers (probably true).
For me, the most fascinating aspect of the film is Jacki's mid-life crisis. This seems very much grounded in reality. Aging rockers probably don't care much about the deterioration of their musical skills and image if they're raking in the money. (The Rolling Stones.) But what about those who exist on the fringe, who haven't achieved fame, and who don't do it for the dough? When someone in that category takes a cold, hard look at her life by the light of day, what does she see? These are issues Jacki has to cope with, and her struggle lies at the core of Prey for Rock and Roll.
All of the actresses do fine jobs, with Gershon (who produces and stars) standing out. The actress has always been attracted to unconventional roles (her role in Bound compensates for Showgirls), and this is one of her bravest performances. Drea de Matteo is solid, although she doesn't stray too far from her Sopranos personality (attractive white girl hooked on drugs). Lori Petty and Shelly Cole have their share of moments. The male characters (most of whom are creeps) don't fare as well on the acting front. Ivan Martin is suitably vile as Nick, but Marc Blucas (whose Animal is the only sympathetic character with a penis) is wooden.
Overall, I appreciate what Prey for Rock and Roll has to offer, even though I'm not a big fan of the grunge music favored by the band (and there is a lot of it in the film). The characters are the key, and the fact that Steyermark and his screenwriters don't go for a Hollywood ending. The film has its sensibilities in the right place. Prey for Rock and Roll makes for a welcome contrast to processed saccharine like School of Rock.
© 2004 James Berardinelli