Absolute Beginners (film)

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Absolute Beginners
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Julien Temple
Written by	Richard Burridge
Starring	Eddie O'Connell Patsy Kensit David Bowie James Fox Ray Davies Mandy Rice-Davies Sade Edward Tudor-Pole
Distributed by	Goldcrest
Release date(s)	18 April 1986
Running time	108 minutes
Country	U.K.
Language	English
IMDb profile

Absolute Beginners is a 1986 slick mod-stylish rock musical movie adapted from Colin MacInnes book Absolute Beginners about life in late 1950s London. The film was directed by Julien Temple and features roles by David Bowie and Sade. Also a breakout role for Patsy Kensit, later known for her marriage to Liam Gallagher.

At the time Absolute Beginners was released, it received immense coverage in the British media. At the time, the British film industry was perceived as being on the point of collapse (with the recent failure of the film Revolution).

Absolute Beginners was panned by critics and became a box office flop. Some of the criticisms included stylistic anachronisms, such as the mini-skirt and decidedly 1980s music from the likes of the Style Council and Sade, the bowdlerisation of Kensit's character (Crepe Suzette had been depicted as a promiscuous negrophile in the book), and the casting of Bowie, who made it a condition of his musical contribution.

It has subsequently gained status as a cult movie, in part due to its soundtrack. Some people compare the movie as the British equivalent of Streets of Fire, a 1984 American movie that was a retro-stylized rock movie with a notable soundtrack, also a commercial failure.

The commercial failure of Absolute Beginners and The Mission led to the collapse of Goldcrest, a major British film studio.

1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Soundtrack
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Plot

It's 1958 and pop culture is transforming from 1950s jazz and early rock to a new generation on the verge of the 1960s. London is post-World War II, but pre-Beatles and the Stones. The storyline incorporates elements of 1958 London racial riots.

Young hip photographer Colin falls in love with aspiring fashion designer Crepe Suzette, but she's only interested in her career. Colin tries to win her affections by taking a crack at the big time himself; meanwhile racial tensions heat up in Colin's neighbourhood of London.

[edit] Cast

Patsy Kensit - Crepe Suzette
Eddie O'Connell - Colin (the narrator was unnamed in the original novel, and so was given the author's first name for the film)
David Bowie - Vendice Partners
James Fox - Henley of Mayfair
Bruce Payne - Flikker
Sade Adu - Athene Duncannon
Ray Davies - Father
Lionel Blair - Harry Charms
Steven Berkoff - The Fanatic
Edward Tudor-Pole - Ed The Ted (credited as Tenpole Tudor)

[edit] Soundtrack

Absolute Beginners: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtrack by Various Artists
Released	April 7, 1986
Genre	Acid Jazz, Downtempo, Contemporary Jazz, Pop
Label	Virgin Records
Producer	Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link

Absolute Beginners: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was concurrently released to promote the film. Aside from the plethora of music from contributing artistis, the musicical score was composed by Gil Evans. David Bowie's title track and the Style Council's songs were released as singles. The LP version (LP Virgin V 2386) omitted tracks 11 to 18 from the CD release.

Track listing