Wham!

After a long day at work I needed something to watch and this came up since I had added it to my list.

It was nice to listen to George and Andrew go through the beginning of their friendship to the inspiration and growth of their music careers. You could see the ache Yog had for becoming that artist he always wished to be. These two young men had such an incredible experience and near the end when you could feel George becoming the solo star he was meant to be, it became a bit heartbreaking but you could see that was necessary. George was a powerhouse and yet he began a quiet, gentle soul. Made me teary at the end but truly enjoyed it.

I've never reviewed a documentary before. But this one really moved me.

I had no idea of the backstory of George and Andrew's friendship. And admittedly, I had always thought of Wham as "George and that other guy". So it was great to see just how important Andrew was to them even becoming a group. The friendship portrayed here is truly amazing. What it must have been like to be in Andrew's shoes, seeing his best friend develop and grow into a huge worldwide phenomenon, while he gracefully stepped back.

Lots of music and concert clips and some cool behind the scenes information on how some of the songs came about. George Michael really was a phenomenal talent. Such a sad ending for him.

Thank you to the creators of this documentary and Netflix. In a nutshell, it was so well put together, with George and Andrew telling their story in its raw form - no pretence, no fluff, just the facts. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and then laugh again. It made this fifty-five year old woman re-live her youth. I cried at Careless whisper and Last Christmas, I laughed and danced around the lounge room to Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, trying to re-do the moves of a teenager, with creaking knees and hip joints, until it hurt. It was so worth it. I LOVED IT. For those of you who there back in the 80s and fell in love with the boys from Wham as I did, you will not be disappointed.

There isn't anything particularly revelatory about this 2023 documentary about the definitive '80's pop duo, but it's a mostly effective retelling of their successful albeit brief track record on the top of the charts. What appears reassuring was the genuine friendship depicted between George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. And how George's mercurial talent as a songwriter and performer quickly broke the pair apart professionally. If there were ugly moments between them, you won't find evidence of them here. Director Chris Smith took a more vanilla approach and used audio-only interviews with George and Andrew to narrate most of the story. Since George died tragically in 2016, Smith apparently didn't want to lean too much on a present-day Ridgeley to have the final word on their story. The still-catchy music speaks for itself.

Did I need a Wham! Documentary in my life? I didn't think do, but turns out I was wrong. Now let's be clear I wasn't a Wham! Fan. I did grow up in the 80s, but I don't think there's a single Wham! Song I like. So why on earth am I watching this? Well partly the power of Netflix marketing and partly that I do enjoy a good documentary. And this is a good documentary. It doesn't break any moulds, the format of tons of archive is fairly standard now, but there is a wealth of stuff here that takes you right back to the era with nailed on authenticity. Two high school mates, fooling around with music, playing, experimenting. Nothing much else to do and plenty of social discord to feed off, as they muck around with home demos. What's obvious though is they've got talent and drive and in George (or Yog), a great charismatic singer. 'Wham Rap' still leaves me cold, but hey at least there was some substance to it and in 'Careless Whisper', although it's pure schmaltz, it's pop potential really does smack you in the face. What's interesting now, watching in 2023 is the reliance they had on the record industry to be given a break. No social media or accessible DIY scene. Young George and Andrew aren't work shy, putting in the hours on dingy club tours, but it's a lucky break getting the chance to fill in for a no show on Top of the Pops and from there things go nuts. It's all about the look. It's the 80s after all. Pretty boys (plus the two girls) and a dance routine what more do you need? Nothing apparently. The hits keep coming, charting every single. There's no talking heads and most of the narration comes from Andrew Ridgley, stock filling in where the archive gets sparse, but there's plenty from George Micheal too, these parts beautifully edited to make it feel like he's been part of the production with the two friends still bouncing off one another. No more so, than when the subject of George's sexuality comes out. How he handled it or rather didn't. His realisation that he was gay, at a time where that was still an issue in a Conservative British society. Instead of being excepted as it would be today (in music at least), it's repressed and hidden. Overshadowed by the critical punches they took as their pop star rose. Screaming teenagers taking over as they go on tour, they play up to it, leaving by what I'm sure are the front doors of Manchester Apollo (58:50) in towel robes, when they could've snuck out the side door. It's the era of Whamania and they admittedly love it, sticking their faces on merch... and making sod all money. It's details like this that make documentaries on subjects you didn't think you cared about interesting. Because you don't know everything and often because you've not paid attention and dismissed something, you've not realised there's more meat on the bone. So we wind through the sordid issues or dodgy record deals, the band creative separation, ambition and two people on different paths. Ridgley talks openly and candidly, as much of the story becomes commanded by George. It's to Ridgley's credit that he drives this so well. It's a love letter to a lost friend. Am I a converted Wham! Fan? No, not at all, but I'll admit more respect for George Micheal and Andrew Ridgley, what they did and how they did it.