Wham! Review: The Netflix documentary traces the history of the phenomenal pop group through never-seen-before archival footage and recordings, in the duo’s own voice. The film is directed by Chris Smith (Tiger King, Sr.) and produced by John Battsek (The Deepest Breath) and Simon Halfon (Supersonic).
It has a runtime of about 1 hour and 32 minutes and is created by A Ventureland, Passion Pictures production, Library Films and Nemperor production. The documentary is entirely made by stitching together old clips and interviews to show a linear graph of Wham’s short yet prolific career.
Wham! Review
George Michael or Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou and Andrew Ridgeley met as classmates at the age of 11-12 and formed an indivisible friendship, sharing the same passion for music. From forming a band called The Executive in 1979 to becoming a duo group trying to get a record deal in 1981, they learnt and created their own style of music which was a mix of rap, disco and pop. Once they got the deal, there was no looking back and only one way to global stardom.
Most of the songs that became quite popular were co-written by George and Andrew, like Careless Whisper, before they even gained recognition. Many documentaries that mention the duo or their revolutionary career, often overlook Andrew’s contribution in making the group what it exactly was. He has been referred to as the brainchild of their concept and most of the early songs that got them the nod from the public. George even goes on to call him his idol or inspiration, as he was quite a shy kid from a conservative family and Andrew was this rebel kid that brought in the needed change. If it weren’t for him to push in the musical direction, the world would have never seen the wonders of Wham.
As wonderful as George Michael’s voice was, the group’s success lies in the amalgamation of their strong friendship, shared creative vision and determination to do what they think is right. The documentary shares anecdotes of their writing or producing process and the story behind Last Christmas is definitely amusing. While some fans might already know but it makes us look at the music video in a different light, knowing that the whole cast is actually drunk while filming it.
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From the year 1982 to 1986, the group achieved much more success than they could have wished for. Breaking into the US market to being the only Western group to have a concert in China, they had quite a few number-one songs and a worldwide following. But professional success doesn’t always satisfy personal dilemmas, which in George’s case was his sexuality. Although he had come out to his friends at just 19 years of age, he couldn’t confess the same to the world, in case it hampered the career they were trying to build. This created an internal conflict to the point that George would try to make himself believe that he was bisexual and not gay.
He found songwriting and producing as his outlet to give a voice to that conflict and dilemma. The more George focused on taking up the roles in creating the band’s music, the more Andrew found himself on the back benches. And if things are going well then there’s no reason left for Andrew to rebel against it. George found validation from being at the top of the game and always doing better than the last time. Andrew is shown a bit laid back, enjoying the moment and the difference in their vision might have created a rift among them but not enough to break them apart.
The group could have gone on for a few more years if it weren’t for the media play that often focuses on just one person in a group and tries to portray others as a shadow. Even if there were no issues among the duo, the constant digs on Andrew getting a free ride on George’s fame would make anyone go separate ways. They did split up at the peak of their career with a farewell concert in 1986. Even when saying goodbye, they did it in their own style and on good terms, not influenced by external forces trying to pit them against each other.
Knowing what transpired in the following years, their split came at the right time before they could have been asked to hang the boots due to some controversy or scandal. The whole documentary is a musical treat with a deserved homage to the group that brought a cultural shift at the time. It might have skipped out intricate details that happened in those years but presents an overview of everything major that contributed to the success. Also, prominently using archives to stitch the story together (expository mode) looks more credible and interesting to watch than the typical interview style.
Rating: 4.5/5
Wham! is currently streaming on Netflix.
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