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Hunky Dory (2011)

Director: Marc Evans

Time Out rating

Average user rating

4 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

From Welsh director Marc Evans (‘My Little Eye’) and writer Laurence Coriat comes a school ensemble piece in which coming-of-age meets let’s-put-on-a-show. The setting is Swansea in the summer of ’76 and our heroine is free-spirited drama teacher Vivienne (Minnie Driver), who plans to see her class off with a ‘Tommy’-style rock opera based on ‘The Tempest’, using the hits of the day. Their production looks like a psychedelic belter – with impressive musical numbers and fashion-forward stylings – but the film is a mixed bag. There’s little to surprise and there are too many characters and strands to get invested in any of them (though Kenny Loder’s Caliban stands out). But Driver delivers a characteristic combination of savvy and likeability and the period and sun-dappled photography are nicely handled. There’s a good sense, too, of the frustrations of school for young adults facing a brave new world.

Author: Ben Walters

Time Out London Issue 2167: Mar 1-7, 2012

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User reviews of this film

ARCHGATE said...

Posted on Mar 14 2012 09:12 The superb Minnie Driver is always worth the price of a ticket. This is a small film with a small budget with small ambitions. A nice enough way to pass the time of day.

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Jeff said...

Posted on Mar 07 2012 11:25 Badly-written, unstructured script, pedantic direction, unbelieveable, superficial characters (too many to engage with) and awful sound/music ,costume,make-up.Set in 1976 (why?to what dramatic purpose?), a boiling hot summer- so why unsweaty people wearing suits, jackets and vests?!Main characters had modern contemoporary hair-styles!And shot through a yellow filter which was very uneasy on the eyes. Plot? Messy.Confusing. Unauthentic premise. Which school ever performs last three weeks of summer term (examinations?!) and the headmaster takes part?!! Aneurin Barnard and Tom Harries stood out- although hardly stretched- but Minnie Driver died a slow death on screen, obviously struggling with the script and the direction. Go see it- at the supermarket dvd basket in a few weeks time. Hunky dory it wasn't. A very bad story very badly told.Awful.Embarrassing.

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Bluemoon said...

Posted on Mar 03 2012 12:57 Great to see a film one can really enjoy. The 70's are depicted well through the sets and clothes. Oh, those happy carefree? summer days.

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SJBay said...

Posted on Mar 02 2012 01:42 Exceptionally charming, Aneurin Barnard is one to watch.

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