My Generation

A very easy-to-watch reminisce of swinging 60s London, with old mate Michael Caine. For those like me, who always wished we experienced the 60s, this is as close as we'll ever get.

There's a lot to like here: Michael Caine, the 1960s, Britain, Beatles, The Who, The Stones, attractive models. It captures the feel and atmosphere of the 1960s well, albeit while being a bit all over the place. But weren't the 60s like that anyway?

It's also a documentary about youth. Something to put on whenever you feel like you're turning into a grumpy old nag. "My Generation" has a killer soundtrack and interesting footage - is like having a time machine back to the 60s, featuring the ingredients that brought about change.

It was fascinating to hear how Michael came up with his "Michael Caine" name, as well as the challenges he faced due to his cockney accent (forced to get rid of it for his first role!). At times it felt like there was too much emphasis on 60s fashion, modeling and photography - though if you're into that, this is the film for you.

Fairly sure I fell in love with every 1960s girl during in this.

The fast montages towards the end made me feel like John Lennon had slipped some LSD into my cup of tea - which I guess was the point while covering drug use of 1960s culture. It wraps up with Michael Caine giving us a mini-inspirational pep talk:

"Never ever look back in anger, always look forward in hope - and never dream small"

I want to go binge Michael Caine's filmography now!

Brought together everything 60's. Good bad or indifferent. Excellent look at the time. Brings the viewer to a kaliedescope of variables. From the early 60's to Nixon. The best and worst of the times.

I really enjoyed this. I'm not Michael Caine's greatest fan but he does well here and where the voice of him today relates an instance in the past that we see in an old clip and another in the same clip also speaks from today the effect can be electrifying. Some have spoken of the simplicity and cheapness of putting something like this together and I couldn't disagree more. This is so seamless, even when clearly the clips are from different sources, that there is an excitement in simply watching this come together before us. The script by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, which might seem unnecessary is quite the opposite because the visuals have to constantly be given the right context. Not sure this would be quite so thrilling for anyone born in later years, but I loved it and was incredibly impressed by hitherto unseen clips.

I thought this was going to be an interview with Michael Caine and some clips; it turned out to be a superb documentary on the social revolution I happened to experience. It is the best history of the Swinging Sixties I can imagine. From the social revolution of that time - which is what it was - I found my own history and development. I worked with Duffy, Donovan, Alan Aldridge. Okay, I was on the periphery of so much depicted here, but I was also a classic illustration of it; a working class lad who went to Art School, became an Advertising man, a successful DADA Silver Award winning Art Director, a prize winning illustrator, copywriter, author and painter. Caine was his brilliant self, not showing off, just telling it straight. This has to come out on dvd. And when it does I shall buy it.

This is simply nostalgia... those looking for a plot or a point just won't get it, and they're likely under 60 as well. For those of us who were alive and experiencing all this first hand, prepare for a delightful evening with the beloved Michael Caine.