One of the best things about this film is that it perfectly captures the "style" and the feel of (part of the) life in the north of England. It has its defects, though. Others have noted the perhaps overdone emphasis on drugs. It all gets a bit too highly coloured for the sake of drama. The film needed more of the positive sides of the culture: the music and the dancing. The main defect, though, is that the main character, John, is a bit dull, played by an actor who is about ten years too old for the part - and often looks every minute of it - and whose accent is not 100% convincing. His mate, Matt, is much better.

Like her contemporaries, Anton Corbijn (Control) and Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy), Constantine has moved effortlessly from photography to film making, and like those directors has chosen to create a story around a moment in the British pop music scene. Constantine however has created a traditional story of friendship focusing on musical obsession, and the darker side of of a scene that has now become legendary.What makes this movie different from the work of the other directors is its obsessive attention to detail. Just read the credits at the end to see how much work was out into creating the authentic feel of the northern soul scene and its music and fashion. Shoes and clothes sourced from original manufacturers, dance teachers and dance sponsors. The cinematography reflects the grimness of 1970s England, post power cuts and pre- punk. The acting is top notch and to be fair the cameos from the likes of Coogan and Tomlinson are a bit of a distraction. The narrative flow is a bit uneven and characters sometimes having little or no backstory, and the predictability of the story arc is somewhat uninspiring. However, this is definitely one of the best British films of recent years. A fun if rather safe British drama, it entertains and I left the cinema with a smile on my face and a few dance moves in my head.

I don't know if I'm giving anything away, but please forgive me if I am. For me it was an excellent film, great attention to detail, and very authentic. Everything included in the plot, from the school, youth club, parent's attitude, and finally the casino, registered firmly on my radar. The joy of the weekend after what for most of us was a pretty mundane week, rang so true, I could almost hear the bell tolling, maybe that was the bell for morning assembly I'm hearing :) The film was made covering a short period of time, so to me everything had to be included, so as to recreate the time period, drugs, fighting, romance, are real recollections for most of us, granted not necessarily in such a short time frame, but if someone is going to be successful at evoking such an important time for so many of us, artistic licence must be granted. I've seen it twice, the first time I decided to disregard the northern soundtrack, and I saw a realistic and gritty piece of drama. The second time I allowed myself to be immersed in everything on display, and it was even better. If you like British films, please give it a go, if you like northern then it's a must, let go of the preconceptions and the ''What will happen next'' views of some reviewers, watch it for yourself and do what we've always done, make an informed decision on what's directly placed in front of you.

So I saw Northern Soul the film tonight for the 2nd time. The first time I saw it was at the premier and it wasn't in a proper cinema and the sound was so bad that you couldn't pick out the dialogue.I am so glad I went back. I realise that I am biased but it's a bloody good film. I happen to have been lucky enough to be an extra in the dance scenes and have waited 2 years to see this film make it to the big screen. Many times along the way I thought it would never come.Elaine Constantine, the director, captures 2 things really well: the 70s and the passion for northern soul.She paints a great picture of growing up working class in the 70s and doesn't give in to the more comedic ideas of 70s fashion. This is all very real and there's not one Chopper or Space Hopper in sight.The film is dark and gritty but the soundtrack is amazing and her dancers are spot on. Elaine's experience as a photographer is very evident throughout as is her passion for the subject matter.She brilliantly captures the look on a dancer's face when they are lost in the music, when it's just you, the music and the dance floor.There are several cameos in the film and all are played down and the young leads really shine. All the cast do a superb job. I love the fact that James Lance is a great soul dancer and he picked up the moves to better understand his role but you never see him dance in the film. You can feel that love, that dedication throughout from all involved. This was a labour of love and it worked.Although the film sinks into a very dark place she really lifts it with the final scenes.A great British picture and I was proud to be allowed to be part of it.