'Spike Island' takes place in 1990 and follows a teenage band as they prepare to attend a concert given by the Stone Roses rock group. The characters are strictly two-dimensional: there's the good-looking one who gets the girl, the shy sensitive one who's the only member of the band with any musical talent, the elder brother idolised by his younger sibling but who turns out to have feet of clay, etc. Nor are the situations they get into particularly new or inventive. Worth watching once, but not again. It stars lots of people Britons have seen on television (Elliott Tittensor - 'Shameless' - in the leading role probably accounted for the large number of men in the audience when I saw the film, but don't get excited - Tittensor strips to his boxers, but that's as far as he goes). Lesley Manville provides a bit of acting class.

Spike Island is the feel-good movie for the summer. Ideal nostalgic fun for anyone really, but especially those who love The Stone Roses, or anyone who loves the 90's, or anyone who used to be in a local rock band or is still in one.

The main protagonists of the story are five lads - Tits, Dodge, Little Gaz, Zippy and Penfold - who have formed a band; Shadowcaster. They have a big love for The Stone Roses and will do literally anything to get into the spectacular Spike Island gig, without actually having tickets to get in.

It's a very entertaining film with a story that is by turns funny, moving and heartwarming. At times it's a bit like Mission Impossible meets Quadrophenia, with a bit of Spinal Tap comedy thrown in; as the boys get more and more devious in their efforts to get into the high-security gig.

There's love, sex, violence, elation and sorrow; great acting, an uplifting summery atmosphere and an awesome musical score. At the centre of it all it's a very human, real story. I absolutely love this film.

Set around 1990 Spike Island concerns five young British lads who have a pickup band in their after school hours and they are a rambunctious bunch when not making music. They decide to go on a mission to see a concert by their idols the Stone Roses who originated in Manchester. They've got no money so they have to use all kinds of wiles and strategy to get there. The object: get a demo tape to their idols.

I suppose if I watch this a few times as I had to with A Hard Day's Night to get down the Manchester accent the way I had to get what John, Paul, George and Ringo were saying in their Liverpudlian speech. Made it kind of hard on these American ears.

Leads Elliott Tittensor and Nico Millenegros are quite talented and appealing. And if you were a British youth of the period I think you'll like this film.