Northern Soul

source: Northern Soul

It's 1974 Lancashire in northern England. John is a meek student bullied at school. Mr. Banks (Steve Coogan) is his teacher. His parents force him to attend the youth club where outgoing DJ Matt is dancing to northern soul. When the school bully attacks, John joins Matt to stand up against him. The two fast-friends rebel against the small town ways and lose themselves to DJ for a growing audience. John falls hard for black nurse Angela. The two guys are not the most engaging. I think the characters are suppose to be 18. One guy looks like he's trying to be younger while the other isn't even trying. There is a danger of too young that is missing from these guys. The drama isn't really here and the plot is pretty thin. There is subplot of drugs that isn't that appealing. There is still some fun. I love the music and the flare pants. I love that the dance hall audiences struggling to figure out Matt's wild dancing. I applaud the commitment. It's not as much fun as one wants in a movie of this nature.

I think we all thought that this would be the film that was better than 'Soul Boy', and it is - but only just. Great beginning, which sets the scene, and shows how Northern Soul became infectious. However it focuses too much on drugs and violence. Perhaps that was the experience of Casino regulars, but the enduring aspects of the scene is a sort of unwritten code which makes violence a big 'no no', and lots of enjoyment of music and amongst NS followers, who recognize one-another as kindred spirits. Even in the 1970s the done thing was to shake hands and give your mates a hug, while a few miles away at a pub disco they brawled on the car park. The film didn't develop the cultural difference that the start of the film began to describe. Pity. Keep the faith.

I've often reflected that English film making hasn't done enough to explore the English experience (compared for example to American reflexiveness in film which has been ongoing part of US cinema since the start), so I find films which look at England's cultural and social experiences with a little bit of favorable bias, and find in this film, about a phenomena probably little known outside of the UK something quite welcoming. Northern Soul, for anyone unfamiliar was a dance/party movement based on obscure American soul music which appeared in Manchester (among other places) in the late 1960s and who's preference, unlike the tastes of the capitol, tended towards lesser known soul music, often of a more up-tempo character. Wikipedia reports that the relative rarity of these soul sounds(as opposed to mainstream, commercially viable Motown sound) made for an environment where a single DJ might have the only pressing of a certain track. The best songs were naturally coveted and DJs might even travel to the US in search of new songs to bring to the dance floor. An entire subculture of music, dance and fashion emerge out of this milieu. That said, this film isn't a documentary and doesn't pretend to be. The story follows the friendship of two disaffected youth as they emerge deeper into and discover themselves through a nascent musical culture. For one of them it's a path of self-destruction and for the other self awakening. Gritty in its realism, Northern Soul embraces a darker side of English working-class society and views the movement, perhaps not unfairly as a respite from the malaise of urban-industrial England in the 1970s. That it occasionally overplays the meme is an evident enough fault and puts the main characters into transformations of identity that aren't always fully convincing (Steve Coogan plays a particularly loathsome secondary school teacher well, if not to slight excess). Matt, one of the film's protagonists transforms rather quickly from enthusiastic teen to angry firebrand in a not entirely nuanced way. We see this again in the ending who's glib tidiness is slightly out of tune with the film as a whole. The presence of drugs as antidote to social malaise comes as no surprise, and inevitably there is tragedy. Northern Soul does at times play that hand also a bit strongly, even as the music recedes into a background role to the more sobering realities in the front. The devolution from euphoria to dystopia where drugs become involved is not a new idea in cinema (or elsewhere) and it's truth is no less evident here. Still, the film is convincingly realized with terrific performances and tight, thematically consistent cinematography that never releases the viewer from a sense that the the straitjacket has yet to be loosed - something that music alone is incapable of doing. The music, the dance and the sheer expressiveness of the club scene provide balance and give the viewer a glimpse into the scene, a kind of English Saturday Night Fever. Enjoyable but not without faults, this is a great look at a time and place and tells a story that needs to be told.

I like films, I particularly like British Films, I especially like British Films about British Culture. I Like and have for many years actively enjoyed Northern Soul. For the last decade or so I have had to rely on the likes of Shane Meadows to successfully weave story lines out of developed British working class characters against a backdrop of fashion, music, humour and drama. Before that; Quadraphenia had a visceral physical affect on my motivation for style, fashion, music & tribalism. The very next day it changed my behaviour, it was a youth culture catalyst that I have been grateful for ever since, it has subsequently provided me with happy reminisces. I am not sure that could ever happen again for todays Teens, too much to compete with, not to mention homogeneous western culture...hard to break away when 300Million Superdry'ers are all wearing the same labels! Anyway, Mr Kermode gives 'Northern Soul' the perfect review by comparing it to "Good Vibrations". I love that film, fascinating story, gritty setting, incredibly strong, charismatic and superbly acted central characters. Great film. Now I'm keen, I'm very keen, I heard enough, I've read enough, even the trailer looks promising. I'm feeling nostalgic and charitable all in one. I may even clap at the appropriate Duke Browner breaks irrespective of potential disapproving glances of my Superdry neighbours...I'll be in the moment! Well, I didn't clap to Duke Browner, or the Exsavyons. I didn't laugh inwards, or smile outwards. The main characters were recognisably mundane or unrecognisably over the top and the plot unfolded predictably. I will say though it is a very well produced film and it definitely had its 'ring-a-bell' moments. The Casino scenes were particularly authentic, but not enough of them for me. Should you buy a ticket (or DVD) or should you buy a Superdry jacket? Well, where 'Good Vibrations' would keep you warm for many years to come, do go and see Northern Soul but maybe take a jumper!

I hadn't even heard of the Northern Soul movement until I made We Are Kings with Rita Graham, who is one of their stars and a former Raelette. Then someone showed me clips of the Northern Soul girl dancing in the streets to the soul music, and of course I became a convert. What a great terrain for movie-making...the best soul songs, the classics, that I grew up with (yes I am from THAT generation). We had a guy in our class in prep school in 1969 that lived in Detroit and he started showing up with Motown records after Christmas vacation...our minds were blown that there was this alternative to the Beatles and the Doors and the Jefferson Airplane, and all new dance moves. So Northern Soul really gets it and I loved the story and the filmmaking was spot on. Highly recommended!

Northern Soul – love it live it, there is no other way! I was there and everything that went on it that film went on in the mid-70s soul scene. Obviously not every week; as a bit of poetic licence needs to be added to give the viewers a storyline. Apart from a few anorak moments everything was detailed exactly, or as near to, the era including the locations and clothing. The choice of music was absolutely 10 out of 10, for the period. Having seen it on the big screen, the DVD lives up to that experience. Miss it – Miss out…..In the words of John Bowie – 'Your're gonna miss a good thing' H

I don't know if I'm giving anything away, but please forgive me if I am. For me it was an excellent film, great attention to detail, and very authentic. Everything included in the plot, from the school, youth club, parent's attitude, and finally the casino, registered firmly on my radar. The joy of the weekend after what for most of us was a pretty mundane week, rang so true, I could almost hear the bell tolling, maybe that was the bell for morning assembly I'm hearing :) The film was made covering a short period of time, so to me everything had to be included, so as to recreate the time period, drugs, fighting, romance, are real recollections for most of us, granted not necessarily in such a short time frame, but if someone is going to be successful at evoking such an important time for so many of us, artistic licence must be granted. I've seen it twice, the first time I decided to disregard the northern soundtrack, and I saw a realistic and gritty piece of drama. The second time I allowed myself to be immersed in everything on display, and it was even better. If you like British films, please give it a go, if you like northern then it's a must, let go of the preconceptions and the ''What will happen next'' views of some reviewers, watch it for yourself and do what we've always done, make an informed decision on what's directly placed in front of you.

Like her contemporaries, Anton Corbijn (Control) and Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy), Constantine has moved effortlessly from photography to film making, and like those directors has chosen to create a story around a moment in the British pop music scene. Constantine however has created a traditional story of friendship focusing on musical obsession, and the darker side of of a scene that has now become legendary. What makes this movie different from the work of the other directors is its obsessive attention to detail. Just read the credits at the end to see how much work was out into creating the authentic feel of the northern soul scene and its music and fashion. Shoes and clothes sourced from original manufacturers, dance teachers and dance sponsors. The cinematography reflects the grimness of 1970s England, post power cuts and pre- punk. The acting is top notch and to be fair the cameos from the likes of Coogan and Tomlinson are a bit of a distraction. The narrative flow is a bit uneven and characters sometimes having little or no backstory, and the predictability of the story arc is somewhat uninspiring. However, this is definitely one of the best British films of recent years. A fun if rather safe British drama, it entertains and I left the cinema with a smile on my face and a few dance moves in my head.

Saw this on TV Jan 2019 & felt it deserved a more Honest Review. It sets the scene for 1973 rather poorly, it's just not very Authentic & Big Names like Ricky T & Steve C add confusion. The Tattoos in 1973 are totally wrong, decades too early it looks like a bad 1990s film. The Music itself is pretty good, some tracks that were Not Around in 1973 like the Unissued Marvin Gaye & The Originals are sore points. The feeble looking record props with photocopied labels looks a bit amateur. Lou Pride wasn't bootlegged until 1975 yet another wrong 'un. To stay with it but it just ends up as a Druggie & Violent Film, it lacks the charm of another recent NS film that was nicely done. The Music sounds Awful on the film, they mix it so badly trying to make out it's a DJ's 1970s Sound but it's way wrong & also they only play tiny bits of tracks like The Tomangoes early on. Unintelligent Product sort of Film, not nice, not authentic & not memorable. The fact they play more of Pop tracks is a bit insulting too. One to Avoid if you want Authenticity, if you want to hear mindless swearing every few seonds you'll love it. I didn't.