Film Choice: I Used to be Famous - review by Yvette Huddleston

Ed Skrein stars as down-on-his luck musician Vince who, twenty years earlier, was the charismatic frontman of boyband Stereo Dream. Now he is reduced to trundling his keyboard around Peckham in south London, setting it up on an ironing board to do a bit of busking. He is constantly ‘working on new material’ and trying to secure gigs at local music venues who are patently not interested and unimpressed by his past glories.

One day as Vince is settling in to play on the edge of a street market, a young man carrying drum sticks sits near him and starts drumming along. It turns out that Stevie (Leo Long), who is autistic, is a gifted drummer and the two strike up a friendship. Their impromptu outdoor concert goes viral on social media which leads to Vince suggesting that Stevie might join him for a gig, something Stevie’s protective mother Amber (Eleanor Matsuura) is unsure about. She feels that the pressure of performing and the noise in a crowded venue might be difficult for her son. The gig goes ahead and after a strong start sadly goes awry but not for the reasons Amber feared. Vince is to blame and he has some bridge-building to do in order to get Stevie back on board.

He tracks Stevie down to the music therapy group he attends for adults with learning disabilities and also discovers that he has a gift for coaxing performances and engagement from some of the shyer group members. It gives Vince a new sense of purpose and things slowly begin to turn around for him. Then his former bandmate Austin (Eoin Macken) who has had a successful solo career since the band broke up and is about to embark on a farewell tour, gets in touch with an exciting proposition.

The chemistry between Skrein and Long works well and some of their musical sequences are very impressive. They get solid support from a fine supporting cast including Lorraine Ashbourne as Vince’s mother and Neil Stuke as an oily music exec. The script by writer-director Eddie Sternberg gently explores thwarted dreams, the importance of creativity for all, and seizing the day when second chances come along. It also has some heartening things to say about kindness and community.