Martin Bradley "SoulBoy" has as its background the Northern Soul scene of the 1970's. It's a dim little picture only partly redeemed by the charismatic presence of the immensely likable Martin Compston and some very decent tunes. As a 'period' picture it's totally manufactured, all the costumes and props looking like they came out of a retro charity shop. It just about passes the time but you can tell there is a much better film lurking in the background trying to get out. It's like a British attempt to resurrect something like "Saturday Night Fever" or "Footloose" and that's where it fails miserably. This is one film unlikely to see the light of day anytime in the future.

chris-166-654495 Once again we are presented with many different versions of the helpless, bumbling, western male until the lead male 'does a little dance' in order to impress a member of the opposite sex in the hope of some kind of redemption and therefore place in society and reason to exist. The film struggles to find a consistent tone, verging from someone getting a horrible beating in the toilets of the casino to the male lead's inane grinning throughout the film. Further variations in tone range from someone receiving oral sex in a car to real life memories of the northern soul scene shown over the credits. The music takes a back seat to clique-ridden window dressing.

trpuk1968 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.

nsoul-liz 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!!!!!!!!!!