Perfect cast and a good story

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I remember the buzz around this film a few years ago because it was shot in Stoke and part financed by the now disbanded Screen West Midlands. With whom I had some professional involvement. I can't add anything to the already excellent user comments about this film but will say what I would do differently were I making it. As other users say its a coming of age story set against the northern soul scene of the mid seventies. I've got interested enough in northern soul to have researched it and Wigan Casino was one of umpteen clubs across the midlands and north of England. My strongest criticism of this film is it doesn't work within its constraints of a low budget and the attempts to re create the Wigan Casino don't convince. They needed a bigger budget, a bigger cast of extras and so on. If I was making the film I'd have thought a lot smaller and set it in a fictional soul club or maybe even a youth club in Stoke on Trent. Stoke had a major Northern soul venue in any case I can t remember the name, as did places like Droitwich and Wolverhampton. When Hollywood do period films they have the budget to chuck at it that it convinces. We can't do it. There's all of three period vehicles that appear in the film. Some of the costumes and detailing are wrong. Did digital watches have alarms in 1974? I doubt it. But this is nonetheless entertaining and worth a watch, especially if you like retro drama. I've seen clips from the forthcoming NORTHERN SOUL film which looks a lot more convincing. I was six years old in 1974 so too young to be part of any scene but I still remember the decade and certain things can transport me back. There's a certain 'look' to the seventies and it needs a budget to achieve a convincing rendition in a film. What I saw of NORTHERN SOUL seemed to have it. SOULBOY is 2/3 of the way there, a commendable effort, worth seeing but in my opinion it would have been better if it had been a little more modest in it's ambitions.

Soulboy is directed by Shimmy Marcus and written by Jeff Williams. It stars Martin Compston, Felicity Jones, Alfie Allen, Nichola Burley, Pat Shortt and Craig Parkinson. Music is by Len Arran and photography by Vladimir Trivic.1974, Stoke-On-Trent, and Joe McCain (Compston) is tiring of his humdrum, repetitive life. Then one day, prompted by his work colleague Brendan (Shortt), Joe finds the gumption to seek a date with pretty hairdresser Jane Rogers (Burley). She opens up a new world to him, a burgeoning music scene in the North of England known as Northern Soul, the epicentre of which is the Casino Club in Wigan. But as Joe begins to find his identity in a blast of all night dancing and friendship, drugs, violence and matters of the heart begin to hover over him like dark clouds waiting to unload.Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy.It's best just to say it straight off, this is hardly a film to do Northern Soul justice. The movement itself is forming the backdrop to a very basic, run-of-the-mill, coming of age romantic tale. Which is sad, that the plot is so weak and poorly written, because the music, dancing and period awareness is joyous. But at least its heart is in the right place, as it's always charming and quite often funny before things get serious in the final third; even if a dance off sequence in said final third is unintentionally daft. From the 70s vibe of Stoke-On-Trent, with the terrace houses and the potteries buildings, to the recreation of Wigan's famous Casino Club (it sadly burnt down in 1981), Marcus and his team really have an eye for period milieu (impressive given Marcus is a born and bred Dubliner). Shaggy hair cuts, platform shoes, tank-tops and Brut 33 aftershave, all keep us firmly in the time of setting, while vintage vehicles, although in short supply because of the small budget, also give the film that vital 70s edge.Tainted Love.Performances are mixed, but lead lad Compston (Red Road) does a grand job of conveying a 17 year old guy in limbo. With a killer smile and a good helping of dexterity for the dance sequences, he's engaging and provides a characterisation that's easy to get on side with and follow through to the end. Burley (Donkey Punch) is under written in what is meant to be one of the main parts, but this does allow the lovely Felicity Jones (Cemetery Junction) to shine through and bounce of off Compston's energy to great effect. Parkinson (Control) is badly miscast as dance floor bully Alan, while a fledgling romance between Jo Hartley (This is England) and Pat Shortt (Garage) doesn't offer much to the plot, which is a shame since both are more than capable actors. Vladimir Trivic's photography leans more to grime than glitz, which actually serves the film well, sort of paying homage to the working class roots of the main players. The sound track, picked by the likes of Paul Weller, is excellent.It's not all it can be, mainly because plotting and writing is too weak. But it has great moments of levity and vitality (watching those kids dance is a real treat), to ensure it's enjoyable and never dull. 7/10

Funny, nostalgic, some good tunes. Boy wants girl, other girl loves boy, boy makes right choice!!!!Just watched this on DVD. I moved away from Lancs to Kent and there isn't the opportunity down here to still go dancing or be involved with the die hard scene.The music was good, some real classics, but it could have been better. The attention to retro clothing, bags, badges and the all important photocopied fliers was good. They got the Casino sign spot on and the bin on Mavis's counter was a touch. They even managed to get in the stairs, although these actually ended at the cloakroom or in the main hall the balcony and next door Mr M's.I cried after some of the documentary footage (which you would only identify if you had been there. Very cleverly done but obvious if you observe the balcony closely.) Two good friends deceased long ago through drugs, lovely people, misguided and sadly missed.Shame it didn't mention post Casino swimming and the obligatory fry up!!! Coaches were good, they did the same to Blackpool Mecca. I don't think that you can actually walk to Stoke from Wigan????..................although it has probably been tried.The dance offs at the end..........tacky. Would never happen,,,,,,,, I often danced in front of the stage!!!!!!!!!!

I was really excited about this film being released, based round the northern soul scene, the recreation of the Wigan Casino and all that, so was very pleased to see it was showing in Portsmouth to coincide with my visit.I left feeling disappointed. It is basically a boy meets girl out of reach, boy chases girl out of reach etc. He tries to impress her and win her by getting involved and interested in the club she travels from Stoke to, The Wigan Casino.The cast do well with a script that follows the well worn scenarios we've seen before in other films and the nostalgia is great. Seeing the sign of the Casino Club as they got off the coach genuinely put the hairs on the back of my neck up and some of the indoor dance scenes were OK too, even if they relied too heavily on the old documentary shots from the seventies to fill. I thought they had brought in loads of dancers from the current scene to film? Surely they could have used more of these? The music choice was great and there were some genuinely funny moments, but overall I felt it was more a film that started as a storyline and they needed a cult scene to base it round to fill seats because without it there wouldn't be much of a film and chose northern soul. That is probably not right but I just felt that.I also spent the film wondering why everyone was so bowled over by this blonde girl he was besotted with when the brunette that fancied him was far better looking.Not a great film but an enjoyable one if only for the nostalgia, just don't watch it expecting it to be about the northern soul scene as such, two quick examples to that, the dance off at the end was embarrassing and not something you'd have seen at Wigan, same with someone spinning on their back, but it is a harmless ninety minutes if you want an easy film to watch.