Soul Boys of the Western World—Spandau Ballet: The Movie

Director George Hencken's documentary allows the members of synth-pop quintet Spandau Ballet—Tony Hadley, John Keeble, Martin Kemp, Gary Kemp, and Steve Norman—to tell their own individual stories, over archival footage of the band and clips of the artists who influenced them. As teenagers, the five Londoners bonded over a love of the pop, soul, and glam music of the 1970s. Galvanized by punk, the quintet formed a band and experimented with different styles and names (the Makers, the Gentry, etc.) before deciding to prioritize keyboards over guitars (the name Spandau Ballet came from words written on a Berlin bathroom wall). Due to their dandified fashion sense, the band gained a reputation as a New Romantic act, which led to a major label contract, a recording session in the Bahamas, and a monster hit with the ballad “True.” They longed to become pop stars, but also sought respect for their musicianship. Gary Kemp's position as sole songwriter also led to power struggles, a problem that was exacerbated by his self-described control freak tendencies. By 1999, the situation had devolved to a point where three members filed a lawsuit against him, but 10 years later, the group reunited for another tour. While the rise, fall, and resurrection trajectory is nothing new, it's still hard not to get swept up in the tale. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)