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Breaking Glass (1980) An old, old story, as told circa 1980. Breaking Glass,
written and directed by Brian Gibson, follows the path of Stardust,
not to mention A Star is Born and most other films
about showbusiness, by following the rise of a talented young hopeful
who learns that success comes with strings. Kate Crowley (Hazel O'Connor)
begins as a bleached New Wave ranter, fly-posting on the tube and yelling
songs about dehumanisation over fascist chants in rowdy pubs, but ends
up a stoned glam zombie dressed as a robot, packaging her anger for
the benefit of corporate music biz baddies and retreating to a sanatorium.
The plot may be familiar, but the film still works, thanks to persuasive
central performances from O'Connor, who wrote her own songs and shows
real acting muscle that sadly didn't lead to anything like a film career,
and Phil Daniels as her hustling manager/boyfriend/conscience. The fine
supporting cast includes Jon Finch and Jonathan Pryce as a Bond villain-style
record producer and a deaf junkie sax player, with glimpses of later
perennials like Jim Broadbent and Richard Griffiths. Made and set at
the start of the 1980s, it catches its times exactly: a 'Rock Against
1984' outdoor gig that turns into a riot, a routine police harrassment
of a band rehearsal, a power cut that transforms a concert into a before-its-time
'unplugged' session. Credits trivia: the executive producer was Dodi
al Fayed. First Published on Amazon.co.uk. Visit Kim's Official Website at www.johnnyalucard.com
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