Product: Return to Waterloo [VHS] (1985)
Rating: 2.0
Add two stars if you're a Kinks fan.
I'm a huge Kinks fan (look at my screen name), and this film confirms why I'm a Kinks fan: The music is great, with Ray commenting on the disintegration of the British Empire to hard-driving rock melodies (and even though supposedly Dave Davies had nothing to do with this film, I hear his voice and believe I hear his guitar -- also, even though the RTW soundtrack is not available on CD, a number of its songs are on the Kinks' album "Word of Mouth" so don't tell me Dave had nothing to do with this). However, this film has little plot and no dialogue as we follow a commuter, the Traveller, into London. It has something to do with the Traveller loving his daughter a bit too much, leading her to run away (the song "Missing Persons"); meanwhile, the British Empire has fallen ("Not Far Away", "Expectations"); the Traveller has sold out his country to foreigners ("Sold Me Out"); and there's a rapist in London who is probably the Traveller (Ray's book "Waterloo Sunset" confirms that this is so). The music makes it all worthwhile for Kinks fans. Look for Tim Roth and a cameo by Ray.