Line #9 Film/KillingBono


1	%%
2	%%
3	%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExamples have been commented-out.
4	%%
5	%% Please add context before uncommenting.
6	%%
7	%%
8
9
10	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/03kgbokg.jpg]]
11
12	->''Some men are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have the misfortune to go to school with Bono...''
13	-->-- '''Neil [=McCormick=]'''
14
15	''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 Music/{{U2}}.
16
17	To make matters worse, back in their school days Ivan auditioned for a place in U2 and (unbeknownst to him) the band decided they wanted him to join, but a disgruntled Neil made an executive decision and refused the offer on his brother's behalf. After witnessing Bono's meteoric rise to fame, Neil feels he owes it to his brother to make their band ''Shook Up!'' even more successful than U2. Only, things don't quite go according to plan...
18
19	Starring Ben Barnes (of ''Film/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'' fame) as Neil, ''Series/{{Misfits}}'' star Creator/RobertSheehan as Ivan, and Martin [=McCann=] (''Film/ClashOfTheTitans'') as Bono. Also features Creator/KrystenRitter, Creator/PeterSerafinowicz, and the late Creator/PetePostlethwaite (in his final performance).
20	----
21	!!Tropes present in this movie:
22
23	* 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.
24	* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Inverted. Neil is a massive annoyance to Ivan (well, to just about everyone he meets really) and is by ''far'' the more immature of the two.
25	* 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]]".
26	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: After all the hardship and struggle, it's a little disheartening to see Neil just ''fail'' in his attempt to become a rockstar. On the other hand, at least he went on to be a successful writer and ended up marrying Gloria.]]
27	* 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. "We'd rather play to 500 of our own fans than 50,000 of yours."
28	%% * CampGay: Carl, the boys' landlord (who takes a particular liking to [[PrettyBoy Ivan]]).
29	* TheChewToy: Both of the [=McCormick=] brothers, but especially Neil. ''All'' his mistakes come back to bite him on the ass, and although he occasionally strays into AssholeVictim territory, he's so shambolic it's hard not to feel sorry for him at times.
30	%% * CloudCuckoolander: Hammond.
31	%% * 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.
32	%% * DefrostingIceQueen: Gloria.
33	%% * DoggedNiceGuy: Poor Ivan.
34	* DoomedByCanon: Even if you aren't aware of the specific fates of the [=McCormick=] brothers [[spoiler: (i.e. that one becomes a music journalist and the other a wedding singer)]], it's still pretty obvious that ''Shook Up!'' isn't ultimately going to hit the big-time.
35	%% * FemmeFatale: Hammond's wife, Danielle.
36	%% * GreenEyedMonster: The narrative is fuelled by Neil's all-consuming envy of Bono.
37	%% * HeroicBSOD: Ivan when he finds out he [[ThePeteBest could've been a member of U2]].
38	* 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 record deal.
39	* ICouldaBeenAContender: Neil is actually a very talented singer/songwriter (as was the real Neil [=McCormick=]) and could have been genuinely successful if luck had been on his side.
40	* 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 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".
41	%% * LargeHam: Peter Serafinowicz as Hammond. Ben Barnes has his moments too.
42	* LyricalDissonance: Neil likes writing catchy pop songs about [[RapeAsDrama rape]].
43	* TheRival: Bono, in Neil's eyes anyway. Although Bono himself is perfectly agreeable and makes every effort to maintain his friendship with Neil (and even tries to help him out professionally) Neil still resents him terribly.
44	%%* SiblingRivalry
45	%% * SpoilerOpening
46	%% * StupidBoss: Hammond. How he ended up as a record executive is anyone's guess.
47	%%* UnderdogsNeverLose: Averted.
48	%%* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist
49	%%* VerbingNouny

Context Film / KillingBono