Film Reviews

Soul Boy

• Rating:
• Director: Shimmy Marcus.
• Starring: Martin Compston, Pat Shortt, Felicity Jones, Nichola Burley.
• Details: UK / 80mins (TBC)

Headrush and Aidan Walsh: Master of the Universe director Shimmy Marcus follows in the footsteps of fellow Irishman Damien O'Donnell (East Is East) across the water for a '70s-based provincial drama. But where O'Donnell managed to sidestep most clichés in his delightful family comedy-drama, Marcus embraces them all come the third act. Stoke-On-Trent, 1974, and Joe McCann (Compston - Sweet Sixteen, True North) spends his days as a delivery boy for Brendan (Shortt) and nights hitting local houses with mate Russ (Alfie Allen) for what they can swipe. His eyes are opened by the new-in-town Jane (Burley, Streedance 3D), a too-good-looking-to-be-in-a-good-mood hairdresser who introduces him to Northern Soul and Wigan's legendary Casino Club. Seduced by the music, the dancing, the drugs and Jane, Joe can't see that friend Mandy (Jones, Cemetery Junction) is throwing some major eyes at him. She's off to Nottingham shortly for an art course - will he see she's the one before she leaves? In similar vein to Cemetery Junction, Soulboy revels in the era - the clothes, the attitudes, the social mores - but like Ricky Gervais' love letter to the same decade it spends too much energy on getting the look right it forgets that it's about to launch into a cliché-ridden climax. Up until that point, however, Marcus manages to steer a steady ship; the film looks the business and there's a tenderness to the story. It doesn't take much to drag an impressive performance from Compston, who, no matter whom he's playing, always manages to convince. While all Burley has to do is stand there and look attractive, something she can do easily, Felicity Jones' innocence lends the film a real charm. Shortt's Brendan gets an interesting subplot involving his attraction to the pregnant wife of a bully, but this sideline is merely a distraction to the main story and is used to only beef up the already slim 80 minute running time. A nod too has to go to the soundtrack, which pumps out tune after cracking tune and mixes up well-known soul hits with less distinguished ones. Despite the predictability of it all, Soulboy remains an appealing number until the run-in where Marcus indulges in an all-too easy wrap up and an ill-advised dance-off between Compston and Casino Club dancing mainstay Alan (Craig Parkinson). Maybe it was Burley's Streedance influences but there really was no need for it.

Review by Gavin Burke