amagjunk
I guess people give this movie a crappy review because it's not your average Hollywood movie. It's not a Hollywood movie. It rises above that. It makes you work a bit, and it lasts long when you return to the music of Morrissey. I loved the music of The Smiths and Morrissey in the 80s and 90s. I was just a kid. The music was cool and it bombarded the airwaves. As I grew older, I paid much more attention to the lyrics and was surprised how arrogant, cynical, and depressing the lyrics could be. As a kid, I just liked the melodies of songs like "Ask" "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" and "Girlfriend in a Coma". I liked Morrissey's voice too. After paying more attention to the lyrics, I had much more respect for the music. It is bloody brilliant. With respect to what Morrissey brought to the music with his lyrics and smooth crooning, this movie attempts to dig deep into the soul of Steven Patrick Morrissey, which is a daring venture, considering his worldwide droves of competing and critical followers. I believe this movie accomplished its goal. The naysayers will argue that the movie is boring and vague, or that the filmmaker's representation is unflattering and noxious to the legend that is Morrissey. To them I can only say, "Go back and listen to the lyrics that create a window through which you might understand who Steven Patrick Morrissey was and really is."
Zkot Pen
My criteria for movies:Do I believe the characters? Yes.
Do I care about the characters? Yes
Do I believe the story? Yes
Do I care about the story? AbsolutelyI struggled a little through the first half of the movie, finding it tedious, slow, and a little difficult to become engaged in. As I watched, however, I realized that this is Morrissey we're talking about -- someone whom one of the indie/alternative radio stations in America constantly referred to as "Miserable Morrissey". Very slowly, but surely, everything began to make sense in Morrissey's environment and how his experience shaped him into one of the great lyricists of pop music: No way out of the drab working class existence, with a local music scene that says nothing to anybody about their lives, and simply a unique person trying to fit in to a type-cast world. From that backdrop, Morrissey finds some semblance of salvation in poetry and music, friends and family.I suspect the low IMDB score -- currently 6.1 out of 10 -- may in part be due to the slow pace and the fact that Morrissey almost never smiles. But that's what's so good about the movie -- in the final analysis, it makes me a believer.The Smiths-less soundtrack is excellent as is the cinematography, the latter adding to the gloomy, grey, drab feel of life in Manchester and its working class. The poetic element, where Morrissey and his friend frequently practice their poetic chops together complements the soundtrack perfectly well."England is mine" has its flaws here and there, but nothing so significant as to tarnish a very good, captivating movie. 8 of 10.
lukethewannabemoviecritic
to start off with, if you're going into this film hoping to see plenty of smiths songs and smiths related stuff, you're going to be disappointed. however this film is a realistic, enlightening and well made insight into a young, socially awkward yet likable Stephen Patrick Morrissey, trying to get his voice heard in the cramped music scene of the 1970/80s. Jack Lowden (Morrissey) who may not really look a lot like Morrissey, does a excellent job of portraying all of his unique characteristics and making him likable in the processes.as a massive smiths fan I was of course disappointed at the absence of any smiths songs, however the music was still very good, using a lot of mid 70s tracks, which is sure to give a lot of older fans nostalgia. the only problem I found was that I originally knew this would obviously be a dramatization like most film biographies, but I then found out later that this is an unauthorized film, meaning that all of this could of possibly been false information, which is a bit of a waste of an hour and a half if it is.altogether though it was a very well made film with lots of style and memorable performances. hopefully a follow-up will be made in the future which focuses more on the smiths and their road to becoming one of the most recognizable bands ever made.
Ingy
Everything you would expect of a pre-Smiths life of Morrissey, dank, a depressing struggle with life, rain, poetry, a little humour, some nice philosophy, a typewriter, a box bedroom wannabe/soon to be, a record player and records set in some 70's and 80's nostalgia. It felt like a cute calm film before a storm of a Smiths film to follow,hopefully.No spoilers from me here other than he doesn't die at the end but in the next film (please) goes on to create the Smiths.
AD
