Tribeca Film Festival is an annual diverse international film festival in New York City that supports emerging and established directors. Its mission is to, “help filmmakers reach the broadest possible audience, enable the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promote New York City as a major filmmaking center. On Saturday, April 23, 2016 I attended the premiere of Geezer, a film directed by Lee Kirk staring Billie Joe Armstron, Selma Blair, Freddy Armisen, Judy Greer, Chris Messina and Madsiyn Shipman. Billie Joe is an icon in the world of punk rock known as the lead singer of Green Day, and is now a newcomer to the big screen of acting. This is Armstrong’s first lead role in a film but not first acting job as he has had small parts in Like Sunday, Like Rain and Nurse Jackie.
The film is about Perry (Armstrong), a former lead singer of a popular punk band, who is now a happily married father of two living life in the suburbs. On the day of his 40th birthday, no one seems to remember it, not even his own wife (Blair) who just asks him to please remember to pick up their daughter’s brand new guitar for her talent show tonight and to let her parents in the house before rushing off to her job as an attorney. He then arrives late as usual to his job at his family’s hardware store and gets into an argument with his brother(Messina). After receiving a “I’m sorry I forgot your birthday, but here’s a thousand dollars, go blow off some steam” gift from his brother, Perry decides to do just that. The film follows Perry as he tries to get his band back together to throw a party in a fancy hotel yet struggling with not being able to let completely loose as seen when asking his friends to please use a coaster for their beers. The climax of the movie hits when Perry in a fit of anger does something he ultimately regrets and realizes he is not the same person he used to be and that’s ok.
The film floats around the idea of the path not taken and the what if’s of life. As Perry wondered what his life would have been like if his band had worked out, I wonder what life for myself would have been like had I never been introduced to Green Day. I’m sure Billie Joe must think at times wondering what would have happened had, Green Day, not blown up as they did. Billie Joe also wrote some of the songs for the movie such as the intro song, “Devil’s Kid” which shows Perry’s past life as a punk star. At the end of the film, the audience, including myself rushed up to the stage for a performance by Billie Joe and Tre Cool of Green Day, bassist Mike Dirnt was unable to attend, so the legendary Joan Jett filled in who also makes a small guest appearance in the film. D Generation guitarist and friend of Green Day, Jesse Malin also played as well. It was a fitting way to close up the weekend of the festival as well as the end of a film about a punk singer. Billie Joe performed two songs from the film as well as two Green Day songs including American Idiot which transitioned into Bad Reputation with Joan Jett. It was an incredible experience of being able to see half of Green Day, my favorite band as well as the amazing Joan Jett, a hard core rocker who is an inspiration to women everywhere.
