Quadrophenia (1979)

A mostly dated, thick, bosh (incomprehensible) tale of 1960s Brit biker angst and self-destruction. The Who rocks, of course, though the Mods (often in Sammy Davis Jr. attire) dance to da-doo-ron-ron tunes and mix it up with the rival Rockers (in black leather jackets). You'll have to work very hard to understand these cockney reprobates, even if you know the slang ("wankers," "nig-nogs from West India"). Biker beatings and riots ensue in Brighton and Phil Daniels (in a well-acted role) continues his delinquent slide downhill (with no help from his daft parents), though he presumably returns from the deep end. (Just going by the story without the available commentary, it looks like less than one-half of a male take on Thelma and Louise along the spectacular cliffs of Dover.) Sting is fashionably cool in his debut but even The Who couldn't make me care enough about these young turks to give Quadrophenia the same 3 stars I give The Dead Poets Society. 2.5 stars.