No matter what David Chase chose to do with his feature debut, it was always going to be judged against the work he did on HBO with ‘The Sopranos’. Had he made a gangster movie, it would have been setting himself up for disaster. Instead, Chase has written and directed the coming of age story ‘Not Fade Away’, and it’s likely to still underwhelm those expecting more mob dealings. This is instead a love letter to growing up and listening to rock music in the 1960′s, and despite not being what many expect from Chase…it’s a wonderful little film. From Chase’s writing to the lead performance of John Magaro and the scene stealing supporting work from James Gandolfini, so much of this flick is a treat. It’s too small to really catch the eye of the Academy at this point, but it’s a dark horse contender for my year end Top 10 list, which I’ll be revealing in a few weeks time. Out this Friday, ‘Not Fade Away’ is the kind of movie that likely have to wait for home video to truly be appreciated. That’s a sad fact of life for Chase’s work, but I’m confident that it will receive the recognition it deserves before all is said and done.
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Tags: Bella Heathcote, David Chase, Jack Huston, James Gandolfini, John Magaro, Not Fade Away, Oscar hopeful, Will Brill
