I didn't invent the rainy day, man. I just own the best umbrella.

Continuing my trip down Empire’s top 100 films of the century so far…

#61 Shaun Of The Dead

I love this film (and watched it again only last week) – it’s a surprisingly well-crafted ramshackle affair covering a wide mix of genres (it’s the first romzomcom, after all!)

#62 Sideways

This film was raved about at the time and I remember being very meh about it – I seem to recall good performances but I just didn’t care.

#63 Under The Skin

This is just a very odd film. I didn’t find it at all enjoyable, but I don’t think it was meant to be.

Which brings us on to Almost Famous – a film which is 20 years old but still highly regarded and I always wanted to watch - but never quite got round to (I'm a busy man, after all!). 

And I’m very pleased this has given me the push to watch it because I really enjoyed it – it’s a warm, affectionate tale of olden times (the 70s!) lightened at times with humour but also not without its moments of heartbreak. A top-notch cast puts in some great performances - Kate Hudson (never better, in a role which could easily have been one-note) and Frances McDormand take the honours for me, along with Phillip Seymour Hoffman putting in a very Hoffman-esque appearance. It was also fun to look up the many faces I recognised but couldn’t quite place (although I must admit to not recognising Jimmy Fallon at all).

At times, the film does feel a bit “look at how cool I am” given that it’s based on the director’s life – but I suspect if that had been my life, then I’d probably have written a film about it so I’ll let him off. Overall, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable film and I’d whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen it.