History Film / KillingBono

* ImpossiblyTackyClothes: Neil and Ivan wear some utter ''monstrosities'' throughout the course of the film. Ivan's high-waisted denim dungarees are among the most haunting images in modern cinema. The production team went out of their way to make the brothers look as silly as possible to highlight the fact that they really ''are'' losers. Otherwise they would've just been two [[CoolLoser talented, good-looking guys]] with a great band, and their abject failure would've seemed a bit jarring. The actors were made to change into sillier outfits whenever the director decided they looked "too cool".

%% * CampGay: Carl, the boys' landlord (who takes a particular liking to [[{{Bishonen}} Ivan]]).

Starring Ben Barnes (of ''Film/ChroniclesOfNarnia'' fame) as Neil, ''Series/{{Misfits}}'' star Creator/RobertSheehan as Ivan, and Martin [=McCann=] (''Series/ClashOfTheTitans'') as Bono. Also features Creator/KrystenRitter, Creator/PeterSerafinowicz, and the late Creator/PetePostlethwaite (in his final performance).

%%* NiceHat

* BornUnlucky: Neil. His luck is so astonishingly bad that at times it really does seem like [[CosmicPlaything the entire cosmos is out to get him]]. Ivan lampshades this more than once. At least some of it can be chalked up to WhatAnIdiot, however. "We'd rather play to 500 of our own fans than 50,000 of yours."

* ArtisticLicense: Although the basic premise of the story was true (i.e. former school friends of U2 attempt to become global rockstars) almost everything else was exaggerated or made up entirely for the [[RuleOfDrama sake of drama]]. None of the stuff with the guns and the gangsters ever really happened. And it was actually Neil himself who passed up the opportunity to join U2, not Ivan.
** This is lampshaded in the promotional materials for the movie - one of the taglines was actually "[[BasedOnATrueStory Based on a]] [[LampshadeHanging True-ish Story]]".

* CampGay: Carl, the boys' landlord (who takes a particular liking to [[{{Bishonen}} Ivan]]).

* CloudCuckoolander: Hammond.
* DarkSecret: For years Ivan believes he simply failed the audition to join U2... when he finds out the truth Neil has been keeping from him, he is ''not'' happy.
* DefrostingIceQueen: Gloria.
* DoggedNiceGuy: Poor Ivan.

* FemmeFatale: Hammond's wife, Danielle.
* GreenEyedMonster: The narrative is fuelled by Neil's all-consuming envy of Bono.
* HeroicBSOD: Ivan when he finds out he [[ThePeteBest could've been a member of U2]].
* HistoricalBeautyUpdate: The real [=McCormick=] brothers (although not unattractive guys in their youth) weren't as conventionally handsome as the actors playing them. In fact, when he first heard about the casting choices, Neil jokingly observed that if he'd actually looked like Ben Barnes he probably wouldn't have had so much trouble getting a recond deal.
* ICantDance: When Neil dances onstage he looks like he's having an epileptic fit. Ivan tries to dissuade him from ever doing it again but it doesn't stop him.

* ImpossiblyTackyClothes: Neil and Ivan wear some utter ''monstrosities'' throughout the course of the film. Ivan's high-waisted denim dungarees are among the most haunting images in modern cinema.
** The production team went out of their way to make the brothers look as silly as possible to highlight the fact that they really ''are'' losers. Otherwise they would've just been two [[CoolLoser talented, good-looking guys]] with a great band, and their abject failure would've seemed a bit jarring. The actors were made to change into sillier outfits whenever the director decided they looked "too cool".
* LargeHam: Peter Serafinowicz as Hammond. Ben Barnes has his moments too.

* SpoilerOpening
* StupidBoss: Hammond. How he ended up as a record executive is anyone's guess.

Starring Ben Barnes (of ''Film/ChroniclesOfNarnia'' fame) as Neil, ''Series/{{Misfits}}'' star Creator/RobertSheehan as Ivan, and Martin [=McCann=] (''Series/ClashOfTheTitans'') as Bono. Also features Creator/KrystenRitter, Peter Serafinowicz, and the late Creator/PetePostlethwaite (in his final performance).

* YourCheatingHeart: Neil's stolen night of passion with [[spoiler: Danielle. Obviously, he gets caught.]]

-> ''Some men are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have the misfortune to go to school with Bono...''
--> -- '''Neil [=McCormick=]'''

* DawsonCasting: Somewhat justified as the movie spanned about a decade, so the lead actors were all roundabout the appropriate age for the latter part of the movie. But the earliest scenes featured Ben Barnes (28), Martin [=McCann=] (26) and Robert Sheehan (23) as schoolboys. Admittedly all three actors are quite youthful in appearance, but they still don't really look like teenagers...

* TheEighties: Complete with EightiesHair, alarming fashions and some kick-ass music. A bit of an AnachronismStew, however, as the music and fashions don't quite match the times.
* FakeIrish: Ben Barnes is English.

* NiceHat
* SiblingRivalry

* UnderdogsNeverLose: Averted.
* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist
* VerbingNouny

''Killing Bono'' is a 2011 Irish comedy movie based on the memoirs of music journalist Neil [=McCormick=]. It follows the story of Neil and his brother Ivan in their quest to become rich and famous rockstars, only to find themselves dramatically overshadowed by their former school-friend Paul Hewson (better known to the world as [[StageName Bono]]) and his band {{U2}}.

''KillingBono'' is a 2011 Irish comedy movie based on the memoirs of music journalist Neil [=McCormick=]. It follows the story of Neil and his brother Ivan in their quest to become rich and famous rockstars, only to find themselves dramatically overshadowed by their former school-friend Paul Hewson (better known to the world as [[StageName Bono]]) and his band {{U2}}.

Starring Ben Barnes (of ''ChroniclesOfNarnia'' fame) as Neil, ''{{Misfits}}'' star RobertSheehan as Ivan, and Martin [=McCann=] (''ClashOfTheTitans'') as Bono. Also features Creator/KrystenRitter, Peter Serafinowicz, and the late Creator/PetePostlethwaite (in his final performance).

Starring Ben Barnes (of ''ChroniclesOfNarnia'' fame) as Neil, ''{{Misfits}}'' star RobertSheehan as Ivan, and Martin [=McCann=] (''ClashOfTheTitans'') as Bono. Also features Creator/KrystenRitter, Peter Serafinowicz, and the late Pete Postlethwaite (in his final performance).

Starring Ben Barnes (of ''ChroniclesOfNarnia'' fame) as Neil, ''{{Misfits}}'' star RobertSheehan as Ivan, and Martin [=McCann=] (''ClashOfTheTitans'') as Bono. Also features Krysten Ritter, Peter Serafinowicz, and the late Pete Postlethwaite (in his final performance).

* BornUnlucky: Neil. His luck is so astonishingly bad that at times it really does seem like [[CosmicPlaything the entire cosmos is out to get him]]. Ivan lampshades this more than once.

* TheEighties: Complete with EightiesHair, alarming fashions and some kick-ass music.