A splendid musical drama which reflects on the fantasies and frustrations of suburban commuter Ken Colley. It's certainly a film which has to be watched several times but you don't have to be a Kinks fan to appreciate it, because the music narrates the story. We are left to wonder whether Ken Colley as the commuter is undergoing a nervous breakdown or whether he is immersed in fantasy. We get a picture of a man who's daughter has run away from home. He is cheating on his wife and someone who has lost his job but is pretending to still have one by sitting in Hyde Park all day and coming home at the regular time. Childhood dreams and aspirations of success when younger have not materialised and our commuter realises he is a faceless non entity who has reached the pinnacle of his career and escapes into fantasy to alleviate the mundaneness of existence.
Review of Return to Waterloo
