Micro Men

Just saw this on BBC4. A very interesting take on how close the UK came to dominating the world computer development and manufacturing industry in the early 80s, only for it to all fall apart just 5 years later.

Despite some garish and unconvincing make-up, Armstrong shows he can do serious drama in his portrayal of Sir Clive Sinclair, the man who brought affordable computing to the masses. Martin Freeman is good (as always) as the confidante in Sinclair's company who, unable to understand Sinclairs bloody mindedness over what to concentrate their efforts on, leaves and sets up arch rival 'Acorn Computers' with an Austrian business partner.

The production team have done a solid job in displaying the drabness of the era. The mix of archive TV footage of the time inter-cut with this filmed TV drama works quite well. The background story of how the UK became a world leader in the home PC market, and then blew it, is a fascinating tale for anyone interested in recent history. At one point Freemans character turns to Sinclair and says 'We could have been the British IBM but you wouldn't listen to me' is very apt. Sinclairs obsession with the notorious C5 is also addressed. It does make you wonder what would have happened had there been more cohesion in the industry at the time rather than the arrogant self interest of the industry that resulted in the UK losing such a massive foothold.

A thought provoking drama that has just enough momentum to keep itself interesting despite some flaws.

The Acting is dreadful but the story is great. Being a Sinclair fan they have told the story very effectively although I highly doubt Sinclair was the forceful swearing personality he's portrayed as. But truly the acting is dreadful both leads can only do the one character, the same turning off camera head movements and stares. They should have chosen other actors but hey...it's not that important as they get the story right. Sinclair was a shy akward person but in this he's some machismo despot, it's very odd and I'm wondering why they didn't show that side of him. Still definitely worth a watch.

Thanks for such a great piece of entertainment.

There were lots of funny bits in this film, largely due to the acting of Sinclair.

It was also light-hearted with a feel good factor at the end with people making up to each other and with Sinclairs quotes about life - "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?".

Some great 80's music as well.

Even if you were'nt into home computers at the time, then this is still a good drama.

About a decade ago it was considered somewhat trendy to film movies about the creation of technology that continues to shape our lives to this day. Some of the prominent examples are The Social Network and Jobs, that tell the stories of people who ultimately succeeded in their aspirations. Unlike these two, Micro Men, a British TV semi-documental drama directed by Saul Metzstein in 2009, does not encourage any survivorship bias. It narrates the brief but thrilling history of home-grown British computer industry, toeing the line between comedy and tragedy.

The plot centres on the rivalry between Clive Sinclair (Alexander Armstrong), an inventor and entrepreneur with a passion for designing miniature electronics and electric vehicles, and Chris Curry (Martin Freeman), a colleague of his who goes on to start his own business. It is their tense competition that drives the adoption of personal computers in British schools, homes and offices. Most of the film's story is based on the actual events, with a few scenes invented. Numerous cuts to the relevant contemporary TV programmes and commercials (a wonderful touch, in my view) add to the "documentary" feeling.

Despite being set primarily in mundane office spaces, the story manages to keep the viewers' attention thanks to Armstong's expressive acting. His portrayal of Sinclair as an eccentric, self-assured and self-centred individual, short-tempered to the point of being laughable, yet insanely committed to his ideas, may seem overblown and unconvincing to some. However, it undoubtedly shifts the production in the even more comedic direction. Freeman gets overshadowed quite a bit, but still delivers a solid performance of a comparatively down-to-earth businessman, countering his overly exuberant co-star.

Micro Men features a totally fitting soundtrack of mostly electronic music, which was booming in the times depicted in the film. The screenwriters do not overwhelm the audience with technical details of any sort, but if you dig this kind of thing, I bet you won't be disappointed, too. Overall, though by no means a masterpiece, this production deserves the attention of tech lovers and everybody looking for a well-screened real-life story to watch.

I grew up in the era where myself and my friends were playing and swapping Sinclair Spectrum games with each other, as well as during the infancy of using BBC micros at school. If you are of that same era, then Micro Men will seem like it was written for you. It's just perfection! It's factual, funny, and jammed full of references to the 1980's computer era. Even the music fits perfectly with the theme and date of the story. Martin Freeman and Alexander Armstrong play their roles incredibly well, as do all the other characters. Some people may criticise the accuracy, but at the end of the day, it's a story about a 4 or 5 year period squashed into about 90 minutes, so some creative writing had to occur in order to make the story flow. But overall it tells the story very well and accurately. There are some parts that I actually remember myself from the day, such as the fight at the 'Baron of Beef' which I remember reading about at the time in 'Crash'. If you still have a fond spot in your heart for your old ZX Spectrum, then you'll love Micro Men. It's one of my top films/documentaries of all time, and I always find myself watching it every few months. I've oribsbly watched it 20 times now, and it never gets boring! I love it. :)