Fantastic!

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

I can't disagree with much of the criticism here. There are too many story arcs and few are given enough screen time (one, about questioning one's sexuality seemed to be over in less than 60 seconds in entirety, and without any resolution that particularly adds anything). I'm just about old enough to remember the summer of 1976 and the film didn't feel historically accurate, either. Rather than reminisce, I had to keep reminding myself it wasn't set in the modern day.However, there were good things. The acting and singing, both from Minnie Driver and her charges, is good throughout. Aneurin Barnard and Danielle Branch stand out as the erstwhile couple who are acrimoniously failing to maintain a working relationship as leads in school's production of The Tempest. Both have a brooding intensity and use their eyes to great effect. For me, the standout moment was during the final production, singing "Life On Mars?" as a duet; him, looking away, still unable to meet her eyes even once, and her, the polar opposite, never wavering in her direct and angry gaze, spitting the words at him. In the penultimate moments of the song, her expression changes entirely from anger to loss, perhaps finally realising that nothing can be salvaged between them. And then, the final scene, she is still staring intently at him, but she is looking upon him almost as a stranger now, as ex-lovers invariably become. It's very well acted, demonstrating these sudden realisations only with her eyes and having them mirrored with an acceptance or at least acknowledgement of defeat in his eyes too.I wasn't expecting to like it, but I did. If you follow the advice given to Minnie Driver's character in the film about keeping your expectations low and don't approach this film as high art, you may find yourself enjoying it. If nothing else, the music is really very good indeed.

Is it not possible for many screenwriters to put together a script without having to resort to totally unnecessary expletives and are they capable of stringing a sentence together when speaking without using it? Time and time again I have to endure a movie with foul language being used in virtually every other word. The vast majority of these movies end up with a 15 certificate because of it but if the script was written without this it could be released as a PG or even a 'U' and therefore available to a much wider audience.The movie could be seen by a much wider audience and the lack of expletives would enhance the movie no end.Hunky Dory is one such movie the foul language used was totally unnecessary and completely spoilt a potentially truly enjoyable experience.SPOILER BEGINS Vivienne Mae (Minnie Driver) is a drama teacher who wants her students to perform a musical version of Shakespeare's The Tempest but the students are totally apathetic and she has her work cut out to get them enthusiastic.SPOILER ENDS This had the makings of a very entertaining movie spoilt only by the constant use of expletives. Even Vivienne, the teacher used it in front of her students, but the students were no better.I know one thing, if my teachers used this language in front of their students they would soon be out of a job.I have given this movie a '3' rating simply because of the totally uncalled for and constant foul language but if that was absent I can see me awarding it a '7' or '8'.I must admit that there are possibly 100s of movies which have been given 15 certificates because of the bad language but could and would have been wonderful all round entertainment, even for young children had the script not contained expletives.

Set in 1976 Swansea, "Hunky Dory" follows charismatic drama teacher Viv (Minnie Driver) as she attempts to stage a rock-opera version of Shakespeare's "The Tempest", set on Mars. Predictably, the play serves as a catalyst to examine and solve some of the students' problems, such as broken families and burgeoning homosexuality, and as a point of confrontation between liberal Viv and other sterner and more classically minded teachers.What the "Freedom Writers", cum "Glee", cum "School of Rock" plot lacks in originality is more than made up for by the stellar ensemble cast. Driver provides a strong, believable lead performance, supported by the frankly superb rising star Aneurin Barnard, as troubled student Davey, and backed by a surprisingly good cast of relatively unknown young actors.Without a doubt, the best thing about "Hunky Dory" is the great soundtrack, which is performed entirely by the talented, young cast. The film features a staggering selection of classic 1970s rock artists, such as Pink Floyd, The Who, The Beach Boys, with an emphasis on David Bowie, whose album the film takes its title from.Overall, "Hunky Dory" is a film that would appeal to the younger "Glee-generation", had it not been awkwardly clashing with a classic rock soundtrack, and a more adult storyline. Nonetheless, it is an entertaining, if schmaltzy and clichéd, film.

As a huge fan of Minnie Driver, I will happily admit to an inclination to watch any film in which she appears. Hell, I even saw that Disney Tarzan movie in which she wasn't even on the screen. So, call me biased. But not even I, a card-carrying member of the MD club, could bring myself to say anything in support of her latest venture, a Wales-set nostalgia-fest entitled Hunky Dory. La Driver plays a teacher. But not just any teacher, of course. Oh, no. MD plays a wacky, slightly f**ked-up teacher whom all her kids adore and who wants to get the kids to put on a big end-of-term show. What show? The Tempest. But not just any Tempest. Oh, no. This will be a Tempest the likes of which you have never seen, and will never want to see, ever again, for as long as you live. Yes, it's The Tempest, but with the songs of David Bowie, and others, performed by the kids, all of whom are either excellent singers or excellent musicians, or both. Which is handy. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the plot. The kids have some issues which get in the way: one might be an arsonist, one is a bit mental, one is, surprise, gay, and one doesn't fancy someone, but fancies someone else instead – crazy! Not all of the teachers approve of Driver and her zany plans. Boo! Hiss! But Driver being Driver, she perseveres, or, rather, the plot just trundles on, avoiding any genuine conflict, any genuine character development, any genuine engagement, anything genuine at all. Every five minutes or so there is a musical number featuring the aforementioned eerily note-perfect singers, accompanied by other kids hitting milk bottles or blowing into recorders. Then one of the kids will have a strop, tell the headmaster to f**k off, storm out, and – oh, no – raise very real doubts that the show will go on. But, of course, the show will go on, even if someone burns down the school hall. Who burned it down? Doesn't matter (and we never find out) because the show can be put on in someone's garden instead! Hurrah! Hurrah for Miss Minnie and her wonderful pupils! Just when you think it can't possibly get any worse, the finale introduces, from nowhere (spoiler warning) some... I can hardly bring myself to say it... some... oh, dear God, make it stop... some shadow puppets. Shadow puppets. Where did they come from? No, really, where? And who made them? And when did anyone get any time to practise with them? And then, as the end is finally in sight, and you get over your paralysing envy of the two people who were brave enough to walk out an hour earlier, the makers of this narcissistic, self-indulgent, dramatically fake, vacuous, inept, embarrassing bore pull off their greatest trick. You know how at the end of some films they have little on-screen summaries of where the characters are now? Fred works in a chip shop in Chippenham, and it's ironic cos all the way through the film he was always eating chips! You get the idea. They do that here, and it's indefensible and crass, for so many reasons. 1. We hardly know these characters at all, and certainly don't care about them, at all, so this little précis of their later lives is totally irrelevant. 2. Using the Falklands war to try and add a little gravitas to such a trivial and gravitas-free film is offensive and opportunistic. 3. You're just prolonging the agony – roll the credits, make it stop, let us out of here.I have seen many, many films in my time (far too many, probably) but never before have I been so tempted to walk out. This temptation began within the first five minutes, when I realised, with grim certainty, that here was one of those films where they compiled the soundtrack first and made the film around it. Photogenic kids singing Bowie, Drake and EL-effing-O. Minnie. The 1976 drought. Hey, this thing practically writes itself. No, it doesn't. It's a nightmare. Two hours and seven quid I will never get back.