In the London of 1958, teen age culture is taking over the music and the fashion of the day. A 19 year old photographer (Eddie O'Connell) attempts to cover the scene without compromising his integrity while his girlfriend (Patsy Kensit) attempts to break into the fashion world at whatever the price. Meanwhile, racial tension is brewing in the slums. Based on the novel by Colin MacInnes, the film has been turned into a pop/rock musical with many of the characters "cleaned up" so to speak for the movie version. The director Julien Temple has given the film a vividly lush Technicolor look reminiscent of the MGM musicals of the 1950s but the musical numbers are clunky. They feel and are shot like music videos (not surprising since Temple directed music videos in the 80s) inserted into the film proper. David Toguri's choreography is awkward and clumsy and with two exceptions, the songs are a sorry lot. The exceptions are the title tune written and sung by David Bowie (who also acts in the film) and a nightclub number sung by Sade Adu. Chalk this one up as a bold experiment that fizzled out. With James Fox, Anita Morris, Steven Berkoff, The Kinks' Ray Davies and Mandy Rice Davies (not related).
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