Rating: 
Summary: Incredible musical!
Review: I've owned my VHS copy of this movie for many, many years. It is well worn, and I am eagerly awaiting its DVD debut.Despite what many critics may say, this is an awesome movie/musical. It's kind of like "The Music Man" meets "Quadrophenia" meets "Streets of Fire." Very cool indeed. Story involves the emergence of Soho in the very early 1960's. The whole Mod scene was just catching on and times were about to get very interesting, as the whole Northern Soul and R&B sound was about to explode. Features an awesome David Bowie, and, as always, the dazzling (despite being somewhat talent-hungry) Patsy Kensit. Add to this, an impeccable soundtrack. I recall that when it came out, I first got the soundtrack lp just for the Vespa on the front. (Since I collect them, as well as Lambrettas). Then, I flipped the lp over and saw the features. Three words sealed the deal for me: "The Style Council." Paul Weller and Mick Talbot are still among my personal idols. Get this movie. It's very good and I know you won't regret it. Also get for "Quadrophenia" featuring very young "bell-boy" Sting. It too captures the mod scene very well, and the clashes with greasers and the infamous "Rumble in Brighton" of which Sezter (a la the Stray Cats) sang. Also, check out "Streets of Fire" and "Something Wild." Particularly the latter has an INCREDIBLE soundtrack.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible musical!
Review: I've owned my VHS copy of this movie for many, many years. It is well worn, and I am eagerly awaiting its DVD debut. Despite what many critics may say, this is an awesome movie/musical. It's kind of like "The Music Man" meets "Quadrophenia" meets "Streets of Fire." Very cool indeed. Story involves the emergence of Soho in the very early 1960's. The whole Mod scene was just catching on and times were about to get very interesting, as the whole Northern Soul and R&B sound was about to explode. Features an awesome David Bowie, and, as always, the dazzling (despite being somewhat talent-hungry) Patsy Kensit. Add to this, an impeccable soundtrack. I recall that when it came out, I first got the soundtrack lp just for the Vespa on the front. (Since I collect them, as well as Lambrettas). Then, I flipped the lp over and saw the features. Three words sealed the deal for me: "The Style Council." Paul Weller and Mick Talbot are still among my personal idols. Get this movie. It's very good and I know you won't regret it. Also get for "Quadrophenia" featuring very young "bell-boy" Sting. It too captures the mod scene very well, and the clashes with greasers and the infamous "Rumble in Brighton" of which Sezter (a la the Stray Cats) sang. Also, check out "Streets of Fire" and "Something Wild." Particularly the latter has an INCREDIBLE soundtrack.
Rating: 
Summary: The first music video musical
Review: Julien Temple had lots of experience making music video's before he made this film, and it shows. Basically, it is many music video's strung together to formulate a film, which is not such a good idea. The story needed much more dialogue and character definition. You'll watch the film and think it looks really neat, but you won't care for the characters. A few months after this film was released, Spike Lee had a hit with something called "Do the right thing". Spike's film is almost a copy of this, same plotline, same issues, but no music. Both films cover a hot summer heatwave where peoples tempers are on edge, race riots occur, etc etc. Why Spike got more attention, I'm not quite sure.
Rating:
Summary: West End Story
Review: Julien Temple's colorful and tuneful tribute to England's pre-Beatles rock 'n' roll scene looks a little better as it ages. "Absolute Beginners" opens with promise...an impressive "Touch Of Evil" tracking shot capturing the energy of London's youth culture/nightclub scene on a hot summer night circa 1960. From that point on, however, the director runs into trouble with narrative (a common problem for many MTV wunderkinds who jumped directly from 5-minute videos to the big screen in the 80's). Temple does have a great visual style, and the proceedings tend to perk up during the production numbers, particularly when sultry Sade and hammy David Bowie are onscreen. A number featuring Ray Davies perfectly encapsulates the zeitgeist of all those classic Kinks odes to British middle-class life. The plot may have been inspired by the virtually unknown (but quite ahead of its time) 1960 British classic "Expresso Bongo", which took a cynical look at the manufactured pop star machine. The movie's final third, with a convoluted subplot about a racist real estate developer, doesn't fit the rest of the story and brings everything to a grinding halt with too much noisy, confusing bombast. Still, the eye-catching sets, memorable musical numbers and musician cameos makes this one worth a look.
Rating:
Summary: West End Story
Review: Julien Temple's colorful and tuneful tribute to England's pre-Beatles rock 'n' roll scene looks a little better as it ages. "Absolute Beginners" opens with promise...an impressive "Touch Of Evil" tracking shot capturing the energy of London's youth culture/nightclub scene on a hot summer night circa 1960. From that point on, however, the director runs into trouble with narrative (a common problem for many MTV wunderkinds who jumped directly from 5-minute videos to the big screen in the 80's). Temple does have a great visual style, and the proceedings tend to perk up during the production numbers, particularly when sultry Sade and hammy David Bowie are onscreen. A number featuring Ray Davies perfectly encapsulates the zeitgeist of all those classic Kinks odes to British middle-class life. The plot may have been inspired by the virtually unknown (but quite ahead of its time) 1960 British classic "Expresso Bongo", which took a cynical look at the manufactured pop star machine. The movie's final third, with a convoluted subplot about a racist real estate developer, doesn't fit the rest of the story and brings everything to a grinding halt with too much noisy, confusing bombast. Still, the eye-catching sets, memorable musical numbers and musician cameos makes this one worth a look.
Rating: 
Summary: Dizzying, colorful, amazing -- and needs to be LBXed!
Review: Julien Temple's paean to the the Arthur Freed MGM musicals of the '50s -- and to the London of the same era -- is a visual feast, crammed to the gills with eye candy and great music. But there has yet to be a letterboxed video release, so alas, audiences can only get the full anamorphic grandeur of this underrated '80s masterpiece if they can see it in a theater. It's worth checking out, in any event, but write your congressman and demand a letterboxed DVD! With Temple's commentary!
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Film
Review: There's a movie musical somewhere in David Bowie's talent, but I'm not sure this is it. Don't be deceived by the cover, David's only a minor bit in this. The sets and lights are spectacular here, and the music's pretty good. I like the Sade song. Some of the British accent's a bit hard to catch, (I turned on the captions for the "Ted's not Dead" song) Disappointing extras, and not even a copy of the film's preview. I'm never really partial to slide shows of promotional photos. I think this film just came out at a time when musicals weren't popular. It probably would have fared better if released today. I'm sure some Broadway producer will be ... over it soon, given their proclivity to turn movies and TV shows into Broadway musicals.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Film
Review: There's a movie musical somewhere in David Bowie's talent, but I'm not sure this is it. Don't be deceived by the cover, David's only a minor bit in this. The sets and lights are spectacular here, and the music's pretty good. I like the Sade song. Some of the British accent's a bit hard to catch, (I turned on the captions for the "Ted's not Dead" song) Disappointing extras, and not even a copy of the film's preview. I'm never really partial to slide shows of promotional photos. I think this film just came out at a time when musicals weren't popular. It probably would have fared better if released today. I'm sure some Broadway producer will be ... over it soon, given their proclivity to turn movies and TV shows into Broadway musicals.
Rating:
Summary: One of my Favorite Movies from the 80s
Review: This is a very visually captivating film based on the fervent and poetic novel by Colin MacInnes. The film creates a surreal world where teenagers frolic in a frenzied London in the late 50's jazz based existence, paralleling outlandishly produced 80s music videos. I love it. Directed by Julien Temple we see corruption of youth by the inevitable commercialization of them by the parasitical establishment in this stylized parable of a generation in evolution. Patsy Kensit is pretty to look and with a name to match as Crepe Suzette.
Rating: 
Summary: AN ABSOLUTE STINKER!
Review: This movie has nothing worth talking about, the Acting was pathetic and plain stupid, I thought I was looking at a pair of Cardboard cut outs pretending to be alive, they were about as convincing as an egg smelling like a rose! As for the plot, what plot may as well put that in the trash along with everything else including the song! (Oh David how could you associate yourself with such !#@* ! ) A complete waste of money, if ever you come across a copy pretend it doesnt exist, trust me your not missing anything!
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