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Rating:  - Remember
Watching this low budget production made me remember how the special people in my life had no limits, upwards or downwards. Thank you.
As for the review, I found Jason Behr's portrayal of the torn young artist outstanding. He made the introspective, emotionally disturbed John Livien quite believable. I think if I saw him on stage I could be crying. On the other hand, Dominic Monaghan, who plays Livien's second guitar and (a bit more than just) friend Owen, is once again just his usual self, known in abundance from Lost or LOTR, sorry to say. I liked the music (performed by Fionn O'Lochlainn) and wouldn't have minded to hear more of it. The movie is a bit dark, maybe too dark, as music is supposed to be the one light and love of the main character and we don't much get to feel any of the joy it brings him. Nevertheless, the movie touched me, I recommend it.
Rating:  - waste of time
I got this movie because Jason Behr was in it.I guess everyone needs to make a living but I wasted my money. There really isn't a storyline. Just a jumble.I was very disappointed
Rating: - Jason what were you thinking
I Loved Jason in the Roswell series but this movie sucks sorry Jason you can do better
Rating:  - The Real Deal
I stumbled across this film on Showtime, having never heard of it before. I've always been a big fan of films about struggling rock musicians, despite the fact that most in this genre strike a lot of false notes - no pun intended. SHOOTING LIVIEN, however, is the real deal. This little film, filled with gritty, grotty New York locales and subtle, nuanced performances, is completely authentic. It follows the burgeoning career of The Virgins Undone, a fictional NYC power trio fronted by the charismatic but deeply troubled John Livien. Through brief, drug induced flashbacks, the viewer is given hazy glimpses into the childhood trauma at the root of his problems - conflicted memories of his mentally unstable mother, who fostered his early love of music and art, as well as his lifelong idolization of John Lennon. Frequently addled by booze and drugs, Livien is vaguely disassociative, subject to frightening hallucinations and exhibiting strange, sexually inappropriate behaviour. In situations where he needs to assert himself (e.g, when he is on stage), he hides behind affectations that mimic his idol, a pseudo-Liverpudlian accent and (non-prescription) round glasses. Deeply mistrusting of women, he attempts to seduce every one he meets with an odd mixture of aggression and submissiveness. The relationship between him and his mother and her tragic fate (a mystery revealed somewhat late in the film) has left him such obviously damaged goods, that the band's A&R rep, one of his many conquests, (an impressively lowkey Ally Sheedy) observes, "Whatever she did to you, she almost spoiled you for the rest of us."
The stunning Jason Behr is utterly riveting, completely believable and heartbreaking in the title role. If there's any justice in Hollywood, he'll soon be competing with Billy Crudup for quality parts in intelligent films. Dominic Monaghan and Joshua Leonard, as his bandmates, also turn in ingratiating, naturalistic performances. The dialogue and easy camraderie between the three men is one of the film's most authentic elements. Last but certainly not least, the original music is head and shoulders above what usually passes for great rock and roll in films of this ilk (see the lame-o Sparklehorse tunes in LAUREL CANYON as an example of the downside of this musical genre) and the songs sound quite credibly like the music of Livien's supposed main influence, post-Beatles John Lennon.
I can't say enough good things about this one. If you catch it, be sure to watch until after the last credit rolls so you are left with no doubts about an otherwise ambiguous ending. Wonderful.
Rating: - NOPE
I like the Beatles I have all thier records, thanks to my parents, and most of the cd's due to the fact that one day i'm afraid I won't be able to find needles for my record player. But, I fell asleep on this movie. I was tired after work so I thought I would try watching it again the next day. This time I stayed awake, thanks to my husband pinching me, but not even the fine acting and incredible body of Jason Behr could make me think this was a great movie.
John Livien's a dark, morose miserable, confused man, haunted by the images of his mom who commits suicide. His quest it seems is to find the tune to a beatles song his mom loved and to learn the words. Simple John play the darn albums and find the song. Maybe if he had stop doing drugs long enough and being miserable he could figure out his pain lies in his moms suicide and his fathers going on with his life. His propensity towards older women is understandable due to the lost of his mom at such a young age. But the scene where he kisses Ally Sheedy what was that.... not to mention that the women playing his girlfriend looks at least 10 to 15 years older than him. Although, the acting was good why not find an actor that can sing, the story bleak, but a 5 star it ain't. And the reviewer who gives this 5 stars why? Slapping John Lennons image in a movie doesn't a 5 star make. I feel as if i'm missing something in this movie but what is it.
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