I'll Be There

 

 

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There's a reason why they talk about the "Voice of an Angel" -- it's because Charlotte Church certainly doesn't have the acting presence of one. Her acting debut "I'll Be There" is proof enough -- only the presence of its star got this tepid little drama into theatres, where it rapidly dropped out of sight. Rightly so.

Seventeen years ago, Paul Kerr (Craig Ferguson) of the Love Rats had a fling with a groupie at a concert. Fast forward to the present: Kerr discovers that unknown to him, his ex Rebecca (Jemma Redgrave) gave birth to a daughter, Olivia (Charlotte Church), who is now a well-adjusted paper girl.

The problem is, Olivia has been kept a secret from her dad. Rebecca is embittered, but Kerr wants to get to know his daughter, and similarly Olivia wants to get to know her father. Music seems to be the thing that will bring the angel-voiced girl and the burned-out rocker together, but Rebecca doesn't want her child to follow in her father's footsteps.

"I'll Be There" was hyped months in advance as being inspired by the life of actress Liv Tyler, who, despite being only in her twenties, has had an immensely interesting life. Well, maybe someday she WILL get a biopic, because "I'll Be There" is only similar in one way: It involves a rock star and his daughter. Otherwise, it is boring in about every way that Tyler's life is interesting.

With a forgettable script, not much humor and a goofy premise, the movie doesn't have a lot going for it -- it reads like a disgruntled teenager's absurdist fantasy, scripted for Church to act out. And not a terribly interesting teenager, either. It gets increasingly ridiculous when Olivia decides to pursue music to bond with Daddy Dearest; it's an obvious ploy to show off Church's vocal skills.

The best that can be said of Church's performance is that at times she looks sweet. As for acting talent, she is bland at best, but she does perform some good songs, and her voice is as pretty as ever. Just watch the songs and fast-forward her actual scenes. Redgrave does as good a job as she can, and Ferguson wrings some pathos from his performance as an aging rocker. His is the only memorable role in the film, and it's a shame that the movie didn't focus on him rather than the dull Miss Church.

Miss Church appears to have chosen a role that glorifies her in the middle of an atrocious film -- also known as the Britney Spears approach. "I'll Be There," but I promise I'll get out as soon as I can.

Charlotte's voice is amazing in this movie and Craig Ferguson was fun to watch. I've always liked his films because he seems so easy going and interesting. Charlotte's voice game me chills!

It's a cute story of a girl who finally meets her rock n roll father and develops a bond through music. But, it wasn't easy with a protective mother who still feels wronged after 17 years.

I never listen to critics since they usually like what they like and really care little about the publics perceptions. If you go into it without any expectations just purly to relax and enjoy then this is the movie to see. Especially for the kids. It's truly a movie about forgiveness, pursuing your dreams, and family.

I actually really enjoyed this movie. I think that Charlotte Church really shines and proves that she is a very diverse, talented person. She proves that she can sing things other than just classical music and she can sing it incredibly well. I am a huge fan of Charlotte Church, which is why I saw it in the first place. She really does shine in this movie, which is why I gave it a higher rating.

On the other hand, it is very "British" if you know what I mean. The British humor is pretty funny, but it is a little hard for me to find sense in some of it toward the end. Also Craig Ferguson's character has a "colorful" vocabulary, mainly in the beginning, which I got sick of. If it weren't for these things, I would have given it five stars simply because Charlotte Church is truly amazing. She's not a bad actress, either. All in all, it was worth seeing, and I'd definitely see it again.

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4.0 out of 5 stars You don't have to be a Charlotte fan to enjoy this film
I put off watching this movie for some time. I've had a hard time accepting the fact that the Charlotte Church so many of us fell in love with, seemingly one of the last remaining... Read more

Published on July 11 2006 by Daniel Jolley

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than it looks
I'll be there is actually a good movie. Ferguson is funny, and has some great like (like Silence of the Lambs line) Church's acting is good and her singing voice is even better. Read more

Published on July 17 2004 by chicoer2003

5.0 out of 5 stars Captured
This movie is easy to rate - couldn't get enough. It is a very good movie with a lot of funny snaps. Read more

Published on April 22 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars What's wrong with it?
Critics are being awful to this film and it flopped at the cinema and after I watched this DVD I asked myself why. Read more

Published on Mar 3 2004 by Nicola Jarvis

2.0 out of 5 stars I wish I wasnt there.
To the point then! Been done been done been done, Very predictable from start to finish, Boorish, D grade in writing. Charlotte of course had a great voice at the time. Read more

Published on Feb 6 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars I'll be There (and I was)
I find myself with no choice but to fully and enthusiastically endorse zansma's review. This truly is one DVD any fan of Charlotte Church should add to their collection - a... Read more

Published on Feb 3 2004 by Mr. J. S. B. Smalley

5.0 out of 5 stars Be there!
This was the cutest movie. Am so impressed with Charlotte Church's acting and Craig Ferguson's writing. Read more

Published on Feb 1 2004 by P. Hall

4.0 out of 5 stars A Sleeper
Thousands of low budget movies are released on DVD/Video every year. Most, without fanfare. This film won several awards, at a number of Film Festivals, throughout North America... Read more

Published on Jan 30 2004 by stuffyduffy

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