Breaking Glass (1980)

Interesting Rock Music Drama - Breaking Glass review by GI

A fairly typical rise and fall of a rock star story set in punk era Britain and showing the urban decay and social unrest prominent at the time. Hazel O'Connor in a break out role not only as an actor but also musically stars as Kate, a young punk singer/songwriter who is anti-establishment and writes politically charged punk rock songs that she plays in grubby pubs. Phil Daniels, in a typical role, is the cheeky chappy wannabe music promoter, Danny, who convinces her he can make her famous. Eventually that happens of course, in fact pretty quickly despite Danny being a complete twit and Kate bizarrely not wanting a record deal which she sees as becoming part of the machine. Anyway she of course does make a record and becomes a sort of Bowie-esque rock god soon becoming disillusioned and drug fuelled to keep he going. The film has some interest although it's all a little clumsy in structure and O'Connor is a little wooden. The director Brian Gibson creates some set pieces involving riots with far right nazi yobs and uses a death at one such event as a plot device to hurry along Kate's fall from grace. None of this works very well as the film is in far too much of a hurry but it's an interesting enough addition to the rock music film and the vision of the bleak side of Britain at the time. Jonathan Pryce supports in an early role and the resulting soundtrack album is excellent.