Garage Days

The advertising tagline for this change-of-pace film from director Alex Proyas, who fashioned imaginatively gloomy visual worlds in The Crow and Dark City, is “What if you finally got your big break and you just sucked?” That, unfortunately, is a question that might be addressed to everyone involved in the making of this awful little Down Under movie about a Sydney band that goes through all sorts of tribulations trying to overcome internal squabbles and achieve a modicum of success. Purportedly an edgy, off-the-wall comedy, Garage Days proves to be as depressing as Proyas' bleak big-budget efforts, and since none of the people either in front of or behind the camera seem to have any idea of what the music business is actually like, the so-called satire falls flat. Even worse, the characters are uniformly unlikable, from the darkly handsome guitarist who can't commit romantically, to the insufferable boor of a manager, to the lead singer (star Kick Gurry) who's a clueless dolt. In fact, there's nothing remotely endearing about these dreary misfits, and even though Proyas tries to spice up the story with lots of splashy technique, nothing can disguise the utter banality of this rambling, pointless picture. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include both full and widescreen versions, audio commentary by co-writer/director Alex Proyas, a “Backstage Pass” featurette, “Beyond the Garage Door” interviews, six deleted scenes, and goofs and outtakes. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a tone-deaf film.] (F. Swietek)