Prey for Rock & Roll (review)

Not your typical rock 'n' roll movie, this is a bitter, angry, down-to-earth flick about a bitter, angry, down-to-earth rock gal who's starting to wonder whether it isn't simply too pathetic to be still waiting for a shot at the big time on the edge of 40. Cult favorite Gina Gershon is at the top of her smart, snarly game as a struggling Hollywood musician -- inspired by rock vet Cheri Lovedog, who cowrote the script -- trying to keep her band, the Clam Dandys, and her life together in the midst of her personal crisis of confidence. The misery piles onto her and her pals in a soap-opera-ish kind of way -- how many bad things can possibly happen to four women? -- but the movie really is all about how music and friendship are their salvation: maybe rock 'n' roll really can save the world, one bitter, angry gal at a time, so who can complain? There's no glamorous sheen to their lives or their music, just something powerful and empowering about how their battle for success has more to do with making good music than making good money. And it's too rare a treat to see talented actresses like Gershon and her costars, Lori Petty, Drea de Matteo, and Shelly Cole, sink their teeth into meaty female roles. For those who can't get enough of the Clam Dandys, check out the extras, which include new and extended concert footage.