Bolan's Shoes (2023)
1h 38m | PG-13
A love letter to 70s glam rock told through the eyes of Jimmy and Penny, two children who grew up in a children’s home and were involved in an accident after attending a T. Rex concert.
Director: Ian Puleston-Davies
Studio: Buffalo Dragon (GB)
Genre: Drama, Music
Video: 720p
Cast
Timothy Spall
as Jimmy
Leanne Best
as Penny / Sadie
Mark Lewis Jones
as Geraint
Dyfan Dwyfor
as Steffan
Mathew Horne
as Jez
Holli Dempsey
as Zoe
Reviews
Many years after a fatal road accident affected her own family, Marc Bolan super-fans "Penny" (Leanne Best) and her pal "Steffan" (Dylan Dwyfor) head to the site of Bolan's own fatality where there is to be a quietly reflective memorial on the 75th anniversary of his death by a few other stalwarts. It turns out that this site is maintained by an odd looking gent, "Jimmy" (Timothy Spall) - who wouldn't look out of place playing guitar in "Slade, and who upon seeing "Penny" promptly has some sort of fit. It turns out that they have a great deal more in common than you might expect and as the story unfolds we learn a little more about their own trauma and just how it affected the relationship and their lives. Now, aside from them all having attended a T-Rex concert back in the day, meeting the band and acquiring a pair of his glamorous shoes, this film really has very little to do with the legendary musician. It's a melodrama about a family that has faced and struggled to come to terms with tragedy, mental illness and denial - and though it's not bad, it's not especially unique nor interesting either. The ending is quite touching, though - and it will look fine as a gently engaging vehicle for Spall on the television at Christmas.