"It was England all right, but very un-English. Every class. Every income. Every kink. Boys. Girls. Black. White. Yellow. Bent. Versatile. All on equal terms."
Absolute Beginners is absolutely mad, but I think that works in its favour. The film throws style, colour, and chaos at the screen with reckless abandon, and somehow, that kind of over-the-top energy gives it a strange charm. It's messy, sure, but rarely boring.
That said, the race war subplot comes out of left field and feels jarring compared to the rest of the film’s wild, stylised tone. It tries to say something big, but ends up feeling a bit undercooked.
The songs themselves aren’t particularly memorable, but the choreography adds flair and keeps things visually pleasing. Even the weaker numbers are lifted by inventive staging and movement.
As for Bowie, well, not quite sure what accent he was going for, but it’s certainly… something. His presence adds to the overall oddball charisma of the film, even if it’s not his most coherent performance.
All in all, it’s a glorious, bewildering mess, and that might just be the point.
