THIS semi-autobiographical piece from writer-director Cameron Crowe is a sweet and entertaining coming-of-age story set around the rock scene of the early Seventies.

A precocious 15-year-old, William Miller (Patrick Fugit), aspires to be a rock journalist. His tenacity pays off off big time when Rolling Stone magazine - thinking him older than his years - commissions him to cover rising rock band Stillwater on tour. "Be honest and unmerciful" advises William's mentor, dishevelled rock journalist Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman).

However, the wide-eyed William soon finds his journalistic objectivity challenged as he draws closer to the attractive Penny Lane, a groupie who describes herself as a "band-aid", and charasmatic lead guitarist, Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup).

As an odyssey into the mores and laws of Rock 'n' Roll much of the ground covered in Almost Famous is familiar - the sex, hippy fashions, drugs, conflicts of superegos, primitive technology and the selling out of r 'n' r - yet the script can still seem as fresh as this morning's news.

The secondary characters help give the film its back-bone with some great lines falling to William's extremely right on academic mother Mrs Miller ("Adolesence is a marketing tool!") and the maverick Bangs who almost makes you believe that there really was a Great Era of rock music.