The retro high school movie is a rare beast. In the past forty years, just two are memorable; American Graffiti (1973) and Dazed & Confused (1993). Recently a popular movie magazine asked whether it wasn't about time for another of this select genre to be released, and maybe the new Welsh film Hunky Dory is that movie.
Set in a heat wave hit Swansea in 1976, the movie follows a forward thinking drama teacher (Minnie Driver), as she tries to put on an end of term production of The Tempest. She battles against the apathy of her students and the hostility of other staff. The slightly unsubtle subtext is a fight between conservative and liberal values.
To gain her students interest, she has used contemporary music within the production, David Bowie and the like. The result is kind of like Waterloo Road meets Glee, and I don't mean that in a bad way. The movie tackles some tough issues and has some even tougher language, so it more than earns its 15 certificate. The songs are all performed whist the choir are rehearsing, so there is no High School Musical style out of context singing.
Like 80s set Son of Rambow, the film has a great time recreating those quintisentially British period details; (milk bottles with adverts on the side, language labs, trim phones, etc).
The combination of nostalgia, great music and a pretty awesome young cast, make this a highly enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.
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