Brightlyme i know i wasted 90 mins of my life.

BroadcastChic Excellent, a Must See

Contentar Best movie of this year hands down!

Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

antiflakflak Topic was a good excuse to make a movie. It is a very interesting time in the British music world. The plot seems choppy with the characters fighting, swearing and drugging their brains out, I guess it portrays British working society as very gritty, dingy, and inspirationally bleak. They need to be lifted up and find a refuge in the obscure soul music from America. The movie doesn't flow well, maybe due to all the violence the characters are caught up in. Dialog, plot all of it weak, but captures the essence of the era in the look and feel quite well and the characterization of working class youth going nowhere. There was an amazing radio show on CITR at one time called "Shake a Tailfeather" that played all of this northern soul, but it seemed to have come to an end, don't know what happened to the DJ or show. Anyways it is a movie tackling an obscure time in music history, worth watching.

your_friendly_reviewer Any attempt to make a film about a cultural movement is challenging especially if it centers around a few characters because there could be a vast number of experiences/perspectives on the matter but not enough time to cover it all however Northern Soul does try to please everyone. The first half is more about discovery of soul music and how it can give people (all races) meaning in life, sense of community, or an addiction which music is capable of doing. The montage of record hunting, practicing routines and comradery was pleasant to watch. The second half is more or less about suffering and the existence of drugs in the scene so the film takes a more personal tone since the characters are the focal point.If you're generally interested in music, culture or the 70's Northern Soul might be worth a watch.

Nick Taylor I am from just outside Wigan, home of the famous casino and up here in the north of England, soul music can be heard in the influences that led to Madchester and many other genres. The soundtrack of this film is second to none and when it concentrates on the music and music's role in society it is never better. The sets and attention to historical detail really do come across and transport you to an era that is so different from today. But then comes the plot, characters and some real dodgy acting. Its hard to invest in these characters as they are parodies of the north almost played to emphasise the stereotype. The problem here is I don't see characters that I can believe in but actors trying to act. Its all a bit 'amateur dramatics' and doesn't work. Its perhaps almost Coronation Street in its approach and recreates the sort of acting often seen in soap operas. You can also feel Steve Coogan and Henry Normal and their Baby Cow productions reaching for another 24 hour party people but falling short. Coogan has many of his family in the show and some of the cast feels a bit like friends and family. The level of violence and drug use is over played and this film is never going to be a classic - it is dedicated to someone's life who had this as a project and a very good project it is as well but one can't help think the cast and acting and a thin plot lets it down.

mylambretta I was really looking forward to seeing this film. I am and always have been a Soul music lover and Northern Soul fanatic. I was hoping to see how the Northern Soul culture developed alongside the pop scene in the 1970's. The beginning certainly started like this and reminded me of my youth club days. It showed how the music and scene became infectious and more and more people wanted to be involved. Unfortunately, for me, it went downhill very quickly. It is basically a film about the drug scene, with a Northern Soul theme running in the background. I went to Wigan several times and many other all nighters. I accept that some people did take drugs but in my opinion it was nothing like what was portrayed in the film. Having said that, the music and dancing scenes were terrific, although there are some of my favourite songs on the released CD set that were not in the film. At the end of the day it is a fictional film, based on facts from individuals from the time and if it was a film purely based upon the music and culture, then I suppose it would not have a very wide audience. Well done Elaine and thank you for allowing me to fondly reminisce about the wonderful memories of my younger days.