Dir. Dave Robinson · 1981 · about 86 min · back in cinemas in 4K
Seven friends in 1970s Camden Town want to be a band. They leave their jobs behind, argue, change line-up, and slowly find the ska-pop sound that became known as the "Nutty Sound". They are Madness, and in Take It or Leave It they play themselves: Suggs, Mike Barson, Lee Thompson, Chris Foreman, Mark Bedford, Dan Woodgate and Chas Smash. The director was Dave Robinson, head of Stiff Records, in his first feature, and according to the BFI there was no written script. The story is based on real events, with improvised dialogue and, as the BFI puts it, no "acting".
The film came out in 1981, was enjoyed but not widely seen in cinemas, and has rarely been shown since. Now the BFI has made a new 4K restoration from the only surviving 35mm prints, keeping the original Dolby stereo mix, and it is back in UK and Irish cinemas from early October.
The reviews we read agree on the texture. Peter Bradshaw in the Guardian found it a docufictional comedy that is:
unexpectedly revealing, vividly atmospheric, often funny and alarming
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
Dan Carrier of the Camden New Journal called it simply wonderful and enjoyed the small background details of 1970s London, from the fans' hairstyles to a cameo by the landlords of the Dublin Castle pub. Meredith Taylor at Filmuforia liked that the band play themselves, which gives the reconstructions an unscripted energy, and valued the film as a record made before the band's myth hardened. Real pubs, venues and rehearsal rooms were used, and the music mixes live and studio recordings, with "One Step Beyond", "Night Boat to Cairo", "My Girl", "Baggy Trousers" and "Embarrassment" among the songs.
Here critics split a little. Carrier admitted the production values are "somewhat ropey", though charming. Taylor found the episodic, scrapbook structure loose, the performances uneven, and the cheerful tone sometimes evasive: authenticity stands in for drama, and it is not an authoritative history. A 2012 Time Out review was cooler still, calling it an adequately mythologising promo job that blames the band's early struggles on infighting and idleness, which is hard to believe given their later hits.
That makes this a film to enjoy for its time, place and songs more than for its plot. The score follows the majority of the reviews: warm, with reservations.
Tap whatever sounds like you. A rough guide built from what critics said, not a verdict.
Pick any that apply.
The 4K restoration is back in UK and Irish cinemas from early October, released by BFI Distribution. A BFI Blu-ray and DVD edition, the film's first on Blu-ray, follows in October, and the BFI has said it will come to BFI Player in December. No dates have been announced for other countries. Availability varies by country, so check your local listings.