MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 80 minutes
Grade:
Adam and Morello have a big problem. It’s not that Adam is the heartthrob lead singer in a famous electropop band or that his girlfriend is a spoiled supermodel. His problem is Morello’s problem. Morello’s problem isn’t that she’s lead singer in a struggling post-punk riot girl band or that she’s dating a banker. No, her problem is that she has to perform the biggest gig of her life at a music festival while handcuffed to the kind of person she totally despises – Adam. So begins an out-there odd-ball romantic comedy filled with lust, mud, betrayal, booze, portaloos and a hundred thousand people partying to the greatest music in the world. None of whom seems to have the key – not to the meaning of life – but to the handcuffs. – Roadside Attractions
Adam (Luke Treadaway) and Morello (Natalia Tena) newly handcuffed and in search of the elusive key.
Tonight You’re Mine was filmed during the music festival “T in the Park” in Kinross-shire, Scotland and I soooooo wanted to be there. The film thrusts you into the action with handheld camera shots and an overall gritty feel of the music festival experience. Simply put, I felt like I was at the festival, drink in hand, hanging out with my friends while getting into a bit of trouble.
There’s electricity in the air as we’re first introduced to Adam (Luke Treadaway, Clash of the Titans), lead singer of The Make and Tyko (Matthew Baynton), his band mate. They’re performing an amazing acoustic song in the backseat of a car and I found myself grooving right along with them. The day seems overcast, rainy and uneventful but you know it won’t last. The Make run into members of The Dirty Pinks, a girl band set to perform during the concert and trouble ensues. Well, all hell breaks loose in what feels like a moment and Adam finds himself handcuffed to Morello (Natalia Tena, Game of Thrones), the lead singer of The Dirty Pinks. With no key, and the crazy man who handcuffed them in the first place no longer in sight, Bobby (Gavin Mitchell), manager of The Make, tries to do what he can to free them, to no avail. And by the end of the film, he finds himself needing to be rescued. So the plot begins and we follow the two bands and Bobby throughout the festival as they try to cope with such an unfortunate circumstances.
I found the acting to be believable and the dialogue keeping in tune with the relaxed feel of the film. Treadaway reminds me of a young Ethan Hawke at times. He portrays Adam with a cool swagger although you know there’s something hidden deep down that he doesn’t want anyone to see. I think he hides behind his image to keep people from seeing what’s hidden behind his sunglasses. He’s passionate, fun and looking for that thing in life that makes it all worth living.
Ladies and gents... Tyko! Need I say more?
Tyko is hilarious. Not only does he look funny, he has a most charismatic attitude and surprises you at every turn. You don’t realize how popular The Make is until later on in the film because they have such a down-to-earth vibe going on. It hits me just how different the groups are when The Dirty Pinks play a gig in a small club type space and The Make hits the main stage in the park. It kind of puts things in perspective as far as where Adam and Morello are in their lives. They may be at different milestones but they have the love of music in common. Music is a universal language, after all.
I didn’t exactly get the romantic comedy feel from Tonight You’re Mine because a lot of the film pulls you into the atmosphere of the festival. The music takes center stage and is pretty incredible. I am an avid lover of anything musical so I was in heaven. The acoustic sets are what blew me away and I was looking forward to more solo guitarists. Alas, there are only the two performances (one by Jo Mango), but a fantastic two they are. While I’ve never been to Coachella, I imagine “T in the Park” to be pretty close to what the experience would be like, but with more carnival rides. I’ve never seen an event of this size with so much going on and I found myself just as overwhelmed by the energy as the crowds who were there.
The comedy is provided by Adam and Morello’s antics while handcuffed, but also Tyko and Bobby’s side adventure to pick up girls. No one cares who the manager of a band is, by the way. On the romantic front, you can see Adam developing feelings for Morello due to the “connection” he believes they share. I would have liked to see things develop more between them though, in order for the romantic feelings to appear genuine instead of rushed. But I believe the point here is the notion of love at first sight, even though the relationship between Adam and Morello isn’t quite that simple. As we see in their first meeting Morello threatens to destroy Adam’s guitar and you know how precious an instrument is to a musician. But as the day winds into night, sparks fly and the two realize there is something more between them than the handcuffs.
Oh the trouble these two get into.
If you love Indies, music, and reckless abandon, this is a film for you. Not only will you feel like you’re along for the ride with Adam, Morello and the bands, you’ll be thrown right into the festival and the joys of experiencing new love. The film has its sweet moments—the shower scene with a muddy Adam and Morello and the ending where Adam rouses the crowd to chant “Morello, Morello” until she appears—and they are endearing and believable. All the actors do a superb job at flawlessly portraying their characters without much effort. I especially loved watching Bobby in an inebriated state. Mitchell does such a great job as he seems completely out of his mind. You just know a few of those beers had to be real.
Tonight You’re Mine is in theatres on May 11, 2012. Be sure to check it out!
Photos courtesy of Roadside Attractions © 2012 Roadside Attractions. All rights reserved.
For more information on the film, visit: http://tonightyouremine.com/.
LIKE Tonight You’re Mine on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TonightYoureMine.
Latest posts by Elle (Posts)
- The Walking Dead Season Finale – “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life” Review. It’s Showtime! - April 6, 2017
- The Walking Dead – “Something They Need” Review. Full of Guns and Surprises and Guns. - March 29, 2017
- The Walking Dead – “The Other Side” Review. Girl Power! - March 22, 2017
- The Walking Dead ― “Bury Me Here” Review. The End Is Near. - March 15, 2017
Follow Us!