Synopsis
A look at New York's dynamic punk rock scene through the lens of the ground-breaking Lower East Side club started by eccentric Hilly Kristal in 1973 which launched thousands of bands.
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Cast
- Alan RickmanHilly Kristal
- Rupert GrintCheetah Chrome
- Malin ÅkermanDebbie Harry
- Johnny GaleckiTerry Ork
- Stana KaticGenya Ravan
- Ashley GreeneLisa Kristal
- Justin BarthaStiv Bators
- Ryan HurstMad Mountain
- Kyle GallnerLou Reed
- Taylor HawkinsIggy Pop
Recommendations
- 70
Salon
CBGB has more of the original prankish punk spirit than it even recognizes. - 42
The A.V. Club
Punk may not be dead, but this picture is D.O.A. - 40
New York Daily News
As a film, the result is static, like Ang Lee’s similarly muddled “Taking Woodstock.” - 37
Film.com
The absolute antithesis to the pioneering punk spirit it tries to portray. - 30
Los Angeles Times
In its stylistically flailing stab at authenticity, CBGB ends up merely a mess of caricatures. - 30
The Dissolve
No doubt a decent movie could have been made about the behind-the-scenes life of CBGB, but CBGB isn’t it. It’s as flip about the club as it is about Kristal, the music, and the time and place that shaped it all. - 25
Slant Magazine
As the film moves from one musical performance to another, the result increasingly feels like a series of celebrity impersonations set to a best-of-punk compilation album. - 25
The Playlist
Director Randall Miller (“Bottle Shock”) could do worse than render the early-'70s punk scene as breezy broad comedy. He adopts that tactic and still falters though, deflating any energy or humor possible with his limp direction, sitcom consistency, and unfocused tone.
