Desert Sun, Number 80, 6 November 1984 — ‘Broad Street’ is thin on plot but music sparks memories [ARTICLE]

‘Broad Street’ is thin on plot but music sparks memories

By YARDENA ARAR Associated Press Writer

‘Give My Regards To Broad Street,” the new Paul McCartney film, has two main things going for it: The ever-charming McCartney presence and McCartney s music, old and new But even together, they are not enough to carry a full length feature. In fact, the project originated as a television show and might have worked belter as a light entertainment of small screen length. Instead, it comes off more as a collection of rock videos padding the most anorexic of plots. McCartney basically plays a caricature of himself the rich, good natured rock star enjoying such toys as a custom designed car equipped with a computer that informs him of his agenda for the day. While driving it to work one day, he gets a telephone call from his business chief The master tapes to an album are missing, and as a result his entire financial empire faces a takeover by a malevolent looking financier calling in a loan An employee with a shady past who has disappeared is blamed, but McCartney refuses to believe him guilty. The film then follows McCartney through his various appointments, which are takeoff points for the music videos ranging from simple

studio footage featuring fellow former Beatle Ringo Starr to a very elaborate fantasy with Victorian settings and costumes. There are cameos by Starr and his wife, Barbara Bach; McCart ney’s wife Linda Eastman; rock songstress Tracey Ullman, producer George Martin; and the late Ralph Richardson as an aging pub owner. He is the only one who comes close to portraying a character in the normal sense of the word Finally, the expected happy ending materializes McCartney, who wrote the screenplay, and Peter Webb, who made his feature debut as director, can’t be faulted for putting out a piece of fluff, but they could have made it more endearing, more wittv, less ponderous. Still, McCartney fans may want to catch the film and they are strongly advised to do so in a theater with good stereo sound. The old music including the re-recorded Beatles classics “Yesterday," “Here, There and Everywhere,” Eleanor Rigby” still tug at the heartstrings and some of the new songs, notably "Ballroom Dancing” and "No More Lonely Nights" are great too. Rated PG, perhaps because of some minimal violence.