Svengali

Nothing worked. The drama didn't work. The humour didn't work. The love story didn't work. Worst of all, some great talent - Vicky Maclure, Martin Freeman, Maxine Peake, Michael Smiley - could do very little with such a poor script and production values. At times it was excruciatingly bad when clearly meant to be funny. At others it was just plain boring. A big disappointment. At least it was mercifully short. 4 out of ten

SVENGALI tales a straightforward tale of a would-be band manager Dixie (Jonny Owen) traveling up from his home in the Welsh valleys to manage a band. The band achieved a certain notoriety (pace the Sex Pistols) and secure a BBC recording session as well as numerous offers of recording contracts. Dixie tries his best to keep them under control, but finds the strain too much and eventually returns home with his girlfriend Shell (Vicky McClure). This film is very much a one-person show: Owen not only stars in it, but wrote the script and produced it. Director John Hardwick keeps the action going at a brisk pace, and there is some atmospheric cinematography by Catherine Derry, contrasting the lonely Welsh and Scottish rural locations with the urban squalor of central London. The film makes some trenchant points about the difficulties of surviving in the Smoke, especially when Dixie and Shell have to deal with a formidable central European landlady (Katy Brand). There are some memorable cameos by Martin Freeman as a record-shop owner and Maxine Peake as his long-suffering spouse desperately trying to prevent her husband from losing his temper. The story is a familiar one, but Owen turns in a winning central performance as Dixie: after what he experiences in trying to keep the band together, as well as dealing with a series of rapacious characters including loan-shark Teddy (Eddie Webber) and vamp Natasha (Natasha O'Keeffe), it's not surprising that he wants to return to the comparative security of home. In his final film before his untimely death, Brian Hibbard turns in a memorable cameo as Dixie's Dad; the scene where father and son talk to one another on a wind-swept Welsh mountain is particularly affecting.

Maybe I was mesmerised by 'the accents', but It's a Comedy Movie which I enjoyed watching. However, the ending was a bit flat.

The film is brilliant, so absorbing, great characters and storyline, awesome soundtrack and great British feelgood factor film! Great to see.Jonny & Vicky for the BAFTAS The film deserves massive success which I am sure it will gain. Can't wait for the sequel This is so the must see film of the year so far, if its coming to a town near you, you HAVE to get out and see it!!! Fantastic night, fantastic film. Gonna be a huge success. Well done all, you smashed it!!Great picture , nice touch the black and white. Great soundtrack as well, with tracks by Jake Bugg, Miles Kane, Mott The Hoople, The Stone Roses, Small Faces, Georgie Fame, The High Numbers, The Jesus and Mary Chain and many more!

I bought a package of random films, and Svengali was in it. Having read the cast list I was instantly invested, with such performers as Martin Freeman and Matt Berry I couldn't wait to start watching.

And then the film started.

And I couldn't wait to stop watching. One of the most unwatchable films I've ever seen, and I watch a lot of bad movies. Jonny Owen as Dixie was utterly unlikable to me, and his performance was less enjoyable than nails on a chalk board.

I say avoid this film at all costs.