A Northern Soul

A sad and depressing slice of social commentary from Hull. The film is well shot and full of well meaning and earnest souls just trying (desperately sometimes) to do their best with what they've got. Ultimately though I feel the same with this as any other chunk of social realism; been there, seen it, done it, don't want to see it all over again.

An excellent story of a person who has a role conflict in between his demotivating professional worker role in a warehouse and passionate rap teacher role who goes with a beat bus to teach rap songs to the children. This film shows his struggle to turn his passion into profession.

I'm biased. I love film and I love Hull. Lived in either Hull or its vicinity all my life. Would I have got the same nostalgia and feeling from this film if I didn't? Probably not. But you'd have to have a heart of stone not to feel for Steve and his plight. All he wants is a break - he has much to offer. But like many people living in today's Britain, dreams are just that. If you're not one of the lucky few (I put myself in that bracket - not through talent but by being in the right place at the right time), 'social mobility' is but a pipe dream. To see the confidence in Harvey grow like it did was wonderful. That is a success story. Without getting too political, it's hard to see how such ventures could be funded in the future without the ring-fenced City of Culture money. Will there be a lasting legacy? I have my doubts - and at times you could see Steve's frustration pouring out. I hope he makes a success of his Beats Bus company - he deserves it.