El joven Morrissey

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.

It is a good start i tell you that. Let's make it a trilogy: right after this its the smiths and the third is the solo. I wonder which One will be highest rating...

Let's set some axioms before we can appraise this work. 1) The Smiths were the greatest rock'n'roll band of all time. 2) Morrissey is the world's greatest living poet. From that axiomatic base, there can be nothing but high hopes for a film about Morrissey's beginnings. Sadly, this film is a non-starter on all counts, because any Smiths fan knows going into it that Morrissey has always refused to license the rights to the songs after that well-known 'How Soon is Now' debacle. Therefore, we can expect to hear none of the music and none of the lyrics. So, what is the point of making the film? The answer is, 'There is no point at all'. And what is the point of watching the film? The answer is, 'There is no point at all'. Let's get one thing absolutely clear; 'Control' this is not; '24 Hour Party People' this is not; 'Nowhere Boy' this is not. Suffice to say, a watchable, entertaining film this is not.

"England Is Mine" isn't a movie about Morrissey (the actor doesn't even look like him) or The Smiths. If you're looking for a film about them, you won't find it here (besides, like many other movies about real musicians, this one wasn't allowed to use real music either).

Who has not looked for a job and, at the same time, was afraid to find it? Who has not preferred to do anything instead of risking doing something for fear of succeeding? These, among a few others, seem to be the main questions of this film. It doesn't offer any answer, however.

If you want to see a guy rejecting all the women that are given to him, this is a movie for you.

The film could've been better.

Steven Patrick Morrissey (Jack Lowden) is a painfully introverted, self-important genius in working class Manchester. His parents are fighting and eventually his father leaves the family. His girlfriend Anji pushes him to start a band but he's too picky to even meet with perspective bandmates. After she breaks up with him, he is taken with outgoing art student Linder Sterling (Jessica Brown Findlay). The other person breaking down his walls is guitarist Billy Duffy. Steven works in a stuffy office with clingy co-worker Christine (Jodie Comer). With much cajoling, Steven performs with Billy and they are invited to London. After the gig falls through and Billy joins another band, Steven falls into a deep depression. Eventually, he follows Billy's recommendation to join guitarist Johnny Marr with whom he would go on to form The Smiths.

Morrissey is a depressed, painfully introverted, self-delusional, emo teen and not the fun kind. This may be real or it may be fiction. I'm not too concerned about that. I would give more importance to Anji especially if the movie proposes her to be his catalyst in one of the most pivotal scenes. "Call me when you grow a pair" is not good enough for their breakup. She needs to have a hint of her medical issue. Her breakup speech needs to be bigger. Christine may be real or not. Again I don't care. Other than some comedic turns, she's a nothing character who threatens to be something and thankfully turns out to be nothing. I have an idea. Let Comer play Anji, expend her role, and eliminate Christine. I suspect that this movie would be better received without the biopic aspect. In the end, it is biopic and critics will ding it for misinterpretations.