Wham!: Movie Review

Director: Chris Smith

Director Chris Smith's take on the Wham story is about as bubbly and effervescent as the music of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley - and that's no bad thing at all.

Using archival footage and interviews as well as scrapbooks from Andrew Ridgeley's mother, the Wham! movie is less interested in going deep and meaningful on the band whose meteoric rise between 1982 and 1986 and more interested in letting the stars tell their tales. (Michael's contributions coming largely from a BBC radio interview.)

But it manages to work wonders, evoking both the spirit of 80s rebellion against an oppressive British regime and a never-ending string of unemployment and the hedonism of youth who believe anything is possible and that, to a large extent, they're mostly owed it.

There's a beguiling innocence to the story as the two meet fatefully on Michael's first day of school and bond over a shared love of music. 

However, what truly emerges from this time capsule is the strong friendship between Ridgeley and Michael that's kept true to this day even after Michael's death. Focussing on Ridgeley's sense of self-belief and on Michael's insecurity, the doco shows how Wham! was more the former's project and how much of an equal partnership it eventually became - before Ridgeley stepped back to ensure his friend's success and personal happiness.

Packed with anecdotes, early gig footage and a growing sense of camaraderie, this Wham doco is more about the exuberance of youth and the optimism that grew from societal frustrations. It hints at darker times, but much like the pop music it covers, Smith is more interested in providing a bubblegum crowd-pleasing nostalgic piece that doesn't outstay its 90 minutes run time and also will see you heading to drag out your cassettes from the time and play them loud once again.