Quadrophenia

My love of THE WHO is no big secret so let me be clear about one thing...QUADROPHENIA is one hell of an amazing film despite being based on THE WHO album. You can take this tale about teen isolation and angst and plunk it smack dab in any post 1950 time frame and it will work. It's almost like Shakespeare for the modern age and the similarites between Jimmy and Hamlet are unmistakable. Phil Daniels, who many know and love from THE EASTENDERS these days is just fucking brilliant as the troubled Jimmy Cooper, a character many young rock & rollers have identified with since Pete Townshend brought him to life. Is the character autobiographical....you bet your sweet ass it is! That this film would be released just as the punk movement was gaining momentum in England is an amazing coincidence as the mod and punk movement were almost one in the same. Then up and coming punk/new wavers STING and TOYAH WILLCOX are here and though uncredited I swear that is Steve Diggle from THE BUZZCOCKS sitting behind Jimmy in the courtroom scene. Tightly directed with a stunning script QUADROPHENIA stands out as the greatest rock film to date, possibly of all time.