Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageAbsolute Beginners (1986)
Director: Julien Temple
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
This musical taken from Colin MacInnes' book about life on the edge in the Soho and Notting Hill of 1958 is a thing of bits and shards. A pair of flyweight leads are counterbalanced by some lurid casting (including Lionel Blair as a pederast tin pan alley king, Alan Freeman's clueless trendspotter, Steven Berkoff's usual Fascist rant, and Bowie, whose face at last is taking on character). Clearly a nightmare to edit, the narrative stutters into life only occasionally. Camp is everywhere, humour thin; and the soundtrack is very contemporary for a movie which in the pre-publicity boasted of its jazz origins. The whole film is an example of the strange influence of pop promo mentality on cinema. All that noise, all that energy, so little governing thought. CPea.Author: CPea
User reviews of this film
-
- Sean said...
- Posted on Dec 14 2010 16:26 Given the brilliance of the novel, the wonderful rock 'n' roll and modern jazz of the era, and scenes from the book that are just itching to be filmed.....this is the worst film ever made.
- Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Julien Temple
Producer: Stephen Woolley, Chris Brown
Cast: Eddie O'Connell, Patsy Kensit, David Bowie, James Fox, Ray Davies, Mandy Rice-Davies, Steven Berkoff, Lionel Blair, Alan Freeman, Robbie Coltrane, Irene Handl full cast
Genre(s): Musicals
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Has David Cronenberg turned tame?
Has director David Cronenberg veered too far from his radical and bloody roots with new film 'A Dangerous Method'?
Pop-up cinema for Valentine's Day
Side-step romantic clichés with some alternative Valentine’s viewing
The 10 worst date movies
Just in time for Valentine's Day, we present ten of the least romantic films ever made
Where to watch this year's Oscar-nominated films
Find out where to watch 2012's Oscar-nominated films in London cinemas
10 unlikely badboy biopics
Featuring Phil Collins, Jeremy Clarkson, Nick Clegg, David Starkey and a host of other unlikely subjects
What do you think?
Post your review now