Bill Nighy, Billy Connolly, Hans Matheson

This gently satirical British comedy chronicles the quixotic reunion of a late, arguably not-so-great, and unlamented '70s rock band, Strange Fruit, with a winning mix of humor and poignancy. The "Fru...( read more  read more... )its," as the survivors call themselves without irony, had disbanded after the tragic loss of one member, the mysterious disappearance of another, and the aftershocks of internal rivalries, but 20 years later they warily reassemble for a Dutch club tour, a warm-up for a proposed festival appearance. Between that seemingly hare-brained proposal and the fateful festival, director Brian Gibson, working from a sharp script by Dick Clement and Ian LaFrenais, captures the absurdities of middle-aged rockers trying to recapture that lost cockiness.

Breathing life into the band is a terrific cast, including Stephen Rea, Jimmy Nail, Timothy Spall, and Bill Nighy, each managing to juggle deft archetype with believable character traits: Spall's cheerfully crass, flatulent drummer, and Nighy's preening, slow-witted lead singer exemplify the approach, grabbing chuckles yet making you actually care about them. Equally impressive is Billy Connolly as the wily roadie, Hughie, at once pragmatic and devoted to his charges. All are well-served by production details and script points that get the group's lost world of late '60s and early '70s rock exactly right, from costuming and stage moves to the long-forgotten bands they name-check--Blodwyn Pig, anybody?

The band's music likewise benefits from inspired insiders, cowriters Mick Jones (Spooky Tooth, Foreigner) and Chris Difford (Squeeze), who hit a nifty combination of bombast (for the silly scenes) and earnestness. When Gibson and his cast risk the story's amiable glow on a darker, more dramatic final act, the music rises to the challenge, and the whole project, like its fictional subject, achieves an unexpectedly touching victory. --Sam Sutherland

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82% liked it

6,194 ratings

Critics

71% liked it

24 critics

R, 1 hr. 35 min.

Directed by: Brian Gibson

Release Date: December 11, 1998

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DVD Release Date: June 29, 1999

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Flixster Reviews (418)


  • July 23, 2008
    British comedy: nothing better.
  • September 30, 2007
    I REALLY like this film. It's the story of a once-legendary 70's rock band called Strange Fruit who split acrimoniously and then are asked to reunite for a 20th anniversary concert. They are of course VERY rusty, as they all moved on outside the music business, and there are a lo...( read more)t of old wounds from their days together that are just scabbed over but not quite healed.

    There's just so much about this to like I don't know where to start, but how about the cast. Everyone including Stephen Rea and Timothy Spall do a great job, but Bill Nighy stands out as the cocky lead singer who believes the whole band hates him because he replaced a beloved singer who OD'd years before. And Billy Connelly nearly steals the show as the roadie Hughie, who acts as a chorus for the action and a babysitter for the band. And Actor/Director/Screenwriter Bruce Robinson puts on the wearied and wounded rock star coat like he's been wearing it all his life.

    The original music, while not quite Grammy quality, is a good fit and sounds like it could be 70's arena rock. And why not? It was written by such as Mick Jones and Jeff Lynne, not a bunch of idiot screenwriters who haven't listened to the radio since Glenn Miller. And the fact that the actors did their own singing just made things even better. The singing sounds a little rough, but I think that's the point. These guys are older and out of practice, and they should sound like it.

    If you liked The Commitments, pair it up with this as a double feature. Some really funny scenes, along with some poignant ones as well, make this film a delight. "The Flame Still Burns".
  • August 7, 2007
    What do you get when a has-been group of 70's rockers gets together again? A pretty good movie! You can imagine the unfinished conflicts that must be resolved.
  • June 27, 2007
    This movie, although it hasn't received a lot of notoriety, is really funny. A look at aging rock stars.
  • March 7, 2007
    This perfectly cast but weakly scripted affectionate portrait of a has-been 70s rock band trying to make a comeback suffers from the usual faults of british comedy ie it's far too formulaic and predictable; it's as middle of the road as the music it parodies.. However, it's still...( read more) mildly amusing though never laugh out loud funny, but suffers greatly in comparison to the far superior This Is Spinal Tap.
  • August 11, 2009
    A horrid movie that tries to evince sympathy for profane, blasphemous, druggies who sleep around. It tries to be funny without much success and then tries to get serious with as little success. I wish I could get back the time I spent on this dreck.
  • August 4, 2009
    Banyak Makna yang terdapat dalam Filem ini.
  • April 3, 2009
    ageing rockers make a comeback in the late 90s with billy connely and timothy spall, whats not to like?
  • January 21, 2009
    british all the way,more a drama than a comedy;a dramedy if you will......awsome performances from all the actors.
    a must see for all bill nighy fans...
  • January 21, 2009
    Strange Fruit...

    Stephen Rea, Jimmy Nail, Timothy Spall, and Bill Nighy: great cast.great movie, great and funny as hell.

    Billy Connolly as the wily roadie, Hughie, at once pragmatic and devoted to his charges was perfect and rather funny.

    how can you not love bill nighy...( read more). this performance was up there with his performance in notes on a scandal and love actually(billy mac), "christmas is all around me".

    this movie was a perfect brit comedy...

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Still Crazy Trivia


  • Have you ever confused a dream with life? Or stolen something when you have the cash? Have you ever been blue? Or thought your train moving while sitting still? Maybe I was just crazy. Maybe it was the 60's. Or maybe I was just a girl... interrupted.   Answer »
  • Which movie stared Jimmy Nail, Timothy Spall, Billy Connolly and Bill Nighy?  Answer »
  • who played les in the film still crazy?  Answer »
  • What is the name of the british film starring Jimmy Nail & Bill Nighy based on a Seventies rock group that reform in the Nineties  Answer »

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