Shoplifters of the World

But i watched the movie anyway.i got what i expected. A thin plot built around "true intentions", lol. But the music was enough to get me thru it, just as the Smiths got me thru the 80's. As clunky and forgettable as the plot was, the music and the record store and references took me back to a sacred time in my life when music meant everything and saved my soul. For that, i thank the filmmakers.

This review is more about the style of the 80s in this movie, from the POV of a '88 grad GenX deeply into the alternative music scene.

Writing this partially in response to a review stating no one dressed like Madonna. Yes, we did dress like Madonna, granted not as closely emulated as in this film. That said, the film itself wasn't great, but the (underdeveloped) characters were fun. Except Cleo. Ugh! The stereotypes were exaggerated but it was nice to see a Robert Smith lookalike because, yes, there were always a few of those dudes roaming the halls in high school, as well.

As for replicating the 80s, it was hit or miss. Cleo's makeup was too contemporary (Instagram model soft, blended eyeshadow? Please.), while others, including the extras, were authentically wearing heavy black eyeliner and frizzed out hair.

Side note - as an Aquanet devotee, that was NOT an 80s style container. We really did carry those in our purses, but they had big white click on lids on a perfectly cylindrical can. That was a modern can of hairspray. Annoying!

I'll admit though, watching for inaccuracies was pretty fun, and along with the soundtrack, the best part of the movie.

A movie about hardcore fans of The Smiths aimed directly at hardcore fans of The Smiths.

People are either going to love or hate this film, I'm sure. I fall somewhere on the "loved it" side, but only just barely.

The first thing that you will notice is that there is an overuse of Smiths lyrics in almost every scene. Sometimes that worked, sometimes it didn't. Where it did work is when you don't sense it coming, and then it will make you smile. But where it did not work, I found myself cringing slightly, as the use of a lyric at that moment felt a bit too forced, even campy, and I got the feeling that maybe the actors themselves were cringing, too.

But lovers of The Smiths will appreciate all of the inside jokes and will probably enjoy this film much more than they will be willing to admit.

Try not to take this one too seriously, say, along the lines of a John Hughes film, which this movie seemingly aspires to be the antithesis of (you'll see what I mean during one particular scene).

I also really enjoyed all of the scenes between the heavy metal radio DJ and the obsessed Smiths fan hijacker and the eventual bonding that occurs

I'm giving this a much higher rating than it probably deserves, mainly because I'm a true Smiths fan and because we need more movies that explore the 80s and the music scenes of that era.

Life before internet... before social media... WAS fun.

Cringiest dialogue ever in a film.

All of the forced lyrical quoting in normal conversation put my girlfriend in a coma.

The acting was mostly terrible, except for Joe Mangenelo's performance.