Probably the best juke-box movie ever made

Rating: 8/10 (30 December 2002)

"A Hard Day's Night" was the Beatles' first, and probably best, feature film of their career. Unlike the confused and confusing "Help!" or the incredibly simplistic and message-oriented "Yellow Submarine" -- in which the Beatles only appeared briefly -- this film has sharp editing, good supporting characterization, and the good sense not to rely too much on the Beatles themselves for more than some good quips and great music.

Richard Lester's compelling and innovative cinematography and editing underscores the fact that these four young Liverpool lads are going to change the world, well before they actually had begun to do so. Rather than making a throwaway flick for the fans, Lester crafted a minor masterpiece for rock and roll movies that has never been equalled or even attempted. (The best musician-based movie is still The Buddy Holly Story, but that was a biography and really a different genre.) The Beatles exploit their public personas to the max here -- loverboy Paul, sardonic John, quiet and naive George, and cuddly Ringo. Wilfrid Brambell steals the show to the extent possible as Paul's grandfather, "a real mixer" as Paul says, who seems to delight in starting fights and causing trouble.
The movie does get slow at points, and except when the Beatles are performing, the movie is surprisingly lacking of a score. The DVD transfer I watched is terrific and the remix of the songs is especially good. This movie is definitely worth a watch to see the Fab Four on the upward arc of their careers and Swinging London at its height. Cool Britannia has nothing on this.