213. My Generation; movie review

MY GENERATION
Cert 12A
84 mins
BBFC advice: Contains drug misuse and references, nudity

Mrs W and I disagree about what would have been our favourite era of all time.
I always go for the 1960s - I love the music, my beloved newspaper industry was at the heart of the community and the explosion of youth culture seemed such fun.
My other half says the 60s might have been a great time for men but less so for women who were frowned upon if they dared to opt for a career during motherhood.
I loved being brought up with mum always at home but I know that is entirely selfish.
I digress - David Batty's movie offers me the opportunity to win the argument because it shows how important the 60s were to the working class.
It is narrated by Michael Caine who sets out to prove how the working class youth saw possibilities which had been denied to previous generations.
He cites himself as an example - being the son of fish market porter who spoke with a Cockney accent.
Ironically, as he divulges, his big movie break came in Zulu in which he played an upper class officer with a plummy voice.
Caine interviews his friends - the stars of the 60s - accompanied by archive footage of them in their pomp. None of them are seen as they are nowadays which is a bit of a shame for those who wanted to know whether the years had been kind.
Well, perhaps not - Marianne Faithfull was one of the most stunningly beautiful women ever to have been photographed and it is only fair to have admired her during in her daring peak.
Photography plays a big part in My Generation - not only from the models' perspective but also the lensmen, led by super-flirt David Bailey.
Stories about hard partying are also told with gusto and there is a reflection on the drug culture, brushes with the law and some of the era's tragedies.
Batty's film is not a great reveal. There is no 'wow, I never knew that' factor.
However, it does, through footage and a superb soundtrack, prompt a sense of nostalgia for a time when everything seemed possible and folk were more easygoing.
I believe that I am a product of the 60s' breakthrough. My parents are working class but had aspirations for their son and I went on to become a newspaper editor.
But perhaps that is the 60s through rose-tinted spectacles.

Reasons to watch: The footage and the soundtrack
Reasons to avoid: Doesn't have a big reveal

Laughs: Two
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: 8/10

Director quote - David Batty: "“We are here, this is our society and we are not going away” defines the life of my working class hero, Michael Caine. It’s why I owe such a debt to him and the ‘60s. We all do."

The big question - Was the 60s the best decade ever?

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