At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The year old documentary, Fame High, follows the life of four students at LACHSA, a performing arts school in Los Angeles through several montages and sometimes shaky, low quality filming with mostly hand-held shots. The director and producer did a nice job portraying the lives of students in the school; I felt a connection with my favorite characters, however the film seemed slightly staged. The teachers seemed like they were acting different in front of the cameras. More editing techniques could have made the movie less boring, too, with the exception of the credits; the facebook-style montage made me more interested in the future of these students. The music in Fame High matched the emotions felt in each scene, which is another good quality about this film. I could feel the intensity in the moments where the music was silenced, and I understood better how the students were feeling when they talked about how important their work was to them and emotional music played in the background. Overall, I would say this documentary was successful with a few flaws. Besides that though, it provided good information and I learned a lot about these students. As a high school student myself, I connected with them in some ways but also differed from them in the hard work they put everyday to become successful in the performing arts industry.

Fame High is a delightful film with depth, humor and inspiration. Scott Kennedy did a wonderful job weaving the struggle and hopes of four high school freshman students at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), also know as Fame High. The story follows an actor, singer, ballet dancer, and pianist; a nice sampling of the arts. Each artist has different challenges, but the undercurrent of stress coming from the commitment, practice and focus required to rise to the top is evident across the board. Underscoring the story is a coming of age story, as the Freshman grapple with standard teenage struggles including parental control, young love and shaping the of the who they are in the world.I was lucky enough to view Fame High at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival and I loved it! I highly recommend Fame High and wish Scott Hamilton and all the your artists in the film well deserved success!