Morrissey is an enigma and with this film of his early life we are left just a little bit more confused. Half shifting between creative bubbling and self destruction, we meet a young Steven Patrick Morrissey (played between Kenneth William camp and sociopath clicks by Jack Lowden.) He is on the anticipated road to success, well in his mind at least. However the route is not easy and rejection, depression and the masking of his genius behind the shelves of the inland revenue is taking its tool. Step in a chance meeting with Johnny Marr and as they say the rest is history….

I am unsure as just how to place myself with England is mine. I mean this as in, with many legend stories it is often about myth and fact. You see I like the Smiths and I have a soft spot for irksome trouble maker and vocal contrarian Morrissey. His voice has often underpinned my post teen life. His solo work, his autobiography and his written pieces from now are all developing as I aged into my mid 30s. A voice for a jaded generation? Maybe that is what he was or is now at least.

Here he is made into something of a sub sardonic, sub self destructive harpie. Jack Lowden gives us a rich and  layered performance that does shift a little from Williams swipes (that Morrissey is like this is not unusual) to empathetic cast away. Lowden adds some depth with his often blank and far reaching stares, nuances tones and voice over vitriol. He adds humour that is delivered with an appropriate shift and makes Morrissey come across as human without a Greek gods level of ethereal grace.

However the film belongs to the supporting cast in my opinion. Morrissey needs the talented Linder (Jessica Brown Findley) to give life to hi and his parables of mournful depression. Findley gives us a stripped down and often stern face hiding a talent and empathy that breeds Morrissey identity. Jodie Comer portrays the every woman Christine, who savages but also casts an eye on from the general publics position. This balances the audiences position and allows an easier entry into the work. The life of a man which can be both unrewarding or obtuse is easier when we have this sort of in.