Hunky Dory

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.