Apr 10, 2019
That'll Be The Day (1973)
"Ever thought of writing your own songs?"
"What?"
"I mean instead of always doing crummy Cliff Richard songs, you ever thought about writing your own?"
"Nah, not really. I can't write."
#that'll be the day#1973#british cinema#coming of age film#films i done watched#david essex#rosemary leach#ringo starr#keith moon#billy fury#rosalind ayres#james booth#robert lindsay#deborah watling#beth morris#johnny shannon#karl howman#daphne oxenford#kim braden#brenda bruce#these has been on my to watch list for years. ever since i got hold of the soundtrack (and what a soundtrack it is). in the end i'm not#entirely sure what to make of it. it isn't what i expected. i'd always assumed it was about a young musician working his way up to the top#especially given the appearances by ringo keith moon billy fury eugene wallace john hawken and more. in fact the films ends as essex's#character buys his first guitar. i guess all that music biz stuff must be in the sequel as here it's all background to the story of a young#man growing up and uncertain what to do with his life. there's no rose tinting here and nothing warm and cozy about the 50s. it's a lot#grimmer and uglier than i expected. essex is a bastard who treats women horribly. im not sure if he's meant to be at all sympathetic but it#doesn't come across. everything is grubby and bleak and miserable. and debbie watling has an awkward sex scene. im still processing this#film. not at all what i expected. an excellent cast and those great musician cameos aside (keith moon is brilliant of course) it just..#isn't a very nice film. lol. i know that sounds stupid and i watch all sorts of horror and depressing films. but this.. there's something#unlikeable about it. almost a measured callousness. a sort of nihilistic view of the birth of rock and roll filmed on a soggy isle of wight
