About

Dynamic choreography and colourful set design set the scene for Julien Temple’s vivid caricature of 1950’s post-war Britain, in the 1986 musical adaptation of Colin MacInnes's 1959 novel ‘Absolute Beginners’.

Set in London’s vibrant Notting Hill district, a young photographer named Colin (Eddie O’Connell) falls in love with an aspiring fashion designer named Crepe Suzette (Patsy Kensit). Despite Colin’s advances, Suzette is seduced by the material lifestyle and decides to marry a wealthy middle-aged gentleman to fund her expensive tastes.

Alongside the film’s peppy visuals and saccharine love story, the film sports a darker sub-plot referencing the cultural tensions, prejudicial attitudes, and racial violence that were present in 1950s London. David Bowie stars as advertising executive ‘Vendice Partners’, a self-selected role that the musician was granted after agreeing to write and perform the film’s title track.