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Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Critic Consensus: No consensus yet.
All Critics (45) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (24) | Rotten (21)
Golden-hued, feel-good treacle, the sort that the U.K. has tried to export ever since Billy Elliot.
The golden-hued cinematography (a filming cliché that really needs to be retired) and the sometimes slack direction by Marc Evans are minuses ...
At various moments this endearing but sudsy movie, which spills all over the place, evokes "High School Musical," "Glee" and "Billy Elliot."
Hunky Dory flits along blithely from number to transporting musical number until it ends - with a sigh - and dodges any authentic engagement with its own ideas.
Enthusiasm carries the day in this paint-by-numbers period tale, which is just charming enough to coast on its own clichés.
Director Marc Evans and screenwriter Laurence Coriat fumble both the musical side of their movie and the coming-of-age side.
It is not hunky dory at all. Instead, it is half-baked and tiresome.
The musical performances lack the energy and gloss of shows like Glee, but what you see here is more like what you'd experience at an average high school musical.
A period piece spin on Glee, as filtered through the gauzy lens of underclass-artistic-exuberance that's plagued a subset of comedic-leaning British imports ever since Billy Elliot.
A lyrically and emotionally intense coming of age tale. Touching on a teacher's struggle against the educational establishment in a search for the liberating musical self-expression of her students.
Although not perfect, 'Hunky Dory' offers much to admire. For example, the film's glorious finale almost took my breath away.
An appealing drama set in Wales in 1976 about a high school rock opera version of Shakespeare's The Tempest.
This British (or if you prefer Welsh) independent musical about the trials of an idealistic drama teacher as she tries to put on the end of year show, was like a book of clichés put together. That was done by the writer Laurence Coriat and directed by Welsh director Marc Evans and stars Minnie Driver, Aneurin Barnard, Kimberley Nixon and Robert Pugh. The setting of the story is in a Welsh comprehensive school during the long hot summer of 1976, and very keen drama teacher Vivienne (Minnie Driver) fights sweltering heat and general teenage apathy to put on an end of year rock and roll musical version of Shakespeare's The Tempest (that David Bowie would be proud of). She has high expectations and to engage her students, she uses hits of the time, performed by a fresh young cast led by Davey (Aneurin Barnard). It has a good message wrapped in a pleasant, feel good movie shiny wrapper (kept for a while) directed like a giant kids puzzle where you explain every piece in details, giving kids the hint where to put it. But, I have to admit I enjoyed it because all that was very smoothly done and with enthusiasm and chemistry which could not be faked! Enjoyable.
Super Reviewer
Superb comedy-drama interspersed with some truly brilliant music and featuring a warm and affable performance from Minnie Driver as the EA teacher trying to direct a musical based on The Tempest. It's sort of like Glee with a degree or Pitch Perfect without the slapstick and one-liners but with added (realistic) swearing and a particularly believable exploration of sexuality. Another gem from chameleon-like director Marc Evans. Cynicism should ideally be left behind.
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