Movie review of “Northern Soul”: Interesting from a sociological perspective, this drama about the passion for American soul music in 1970s Northern England falls flat as a tale of teen rebellion and big dreams. Rating: 1.5 stars out of 4.
British pop music in the early 1970s is associated with a lot of homegrown artists: David Bowie, Roxy Music, Pink Floyd among them. But way up in the northern part of England, there was a fever among some kids for American soul.
That’s the upshot of “Northern Soul,” a revealing if disappointingly thin and histrionic drama about a couple of 18-year-old guys who gamble their dreams and future on riding a wave of youthful passion for soul music.
Written and directed by music-video veteran Elaine Constantine, “Northern Soul” features many visually intense, frenetic scenes set in ad hoc dance clubs, where the faithful lock into dance moves that at once look American and local.
Movie Review ★½
‘Northern Soul,’ with Josh Whitehouse, Elliot James Langridge, Steve Coogan, Ricky Tomlinson, Lisa Stansfield. Written and directed by Elaine Constantine. 102 minutes Rated R for drug use, sexuality, language. Sundance Cinemas (21+).
It’s at this semi-sociological and historical level about tribalism that the film works best. The narrative, on the other hand, full of predictable drug scenes, middle-class uproar, teen rebellion and sexual awakenings, is little more than an obligatory veneer.
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John Clark (Elliot James Langridge) is a miserable school kid when we meet him. Friendless and bullied by peers, taunted by a condescending teacher (Steve Coogan, striking a satirical note that seems tonally out of place) and pressured by his parents to be more outgoing, John Clark takes solace in the love of his grandfather (Ricky Tomlinson).
A chance meeting with Matt (Josh Whitehouse), a champion of American soul culture, gives John Clark a sense of direction. The two set their sights on becoming club DJs, but the vision soon comes undone.
“Northern Soul” falls off the rails with too many story twists, too much manic editing and not enough character to justify more extreme behavior in the principals. The soundtrack might pulse to a dance-floor beat, but the movie trips over its own feet.