James: Getting Away with It (15)

The incredible untold story of one of British music’s most iconic and unlikely bands, James: Getting Away With It is a wry and soulful film about creativity, friendship, spontaneity and embracing the mistakes that shape you.

Formed in early 1980s Manchester, a group of awkward misfits stumbled through a decade of false starts, bad decisions and infamous missteps – joining a cult, turning down the chance to tour with The Smiths and rejecting the legendary Factory Records – before breaking through with ‘Sit Down’.

Fuelled by an improvisational and chaotic approach to music, James built a remarkable catalogue over 40 years. Success deepened their dysfunction, leading to collapse at the millennium. But fans refused to let them die and after repairing their differences, they reunited in 2007, finding new life, bigger audiences and finally – a number one album. 

Directed by Chris Atkins, James: Getting Away With It features candid interviews with band members past and present, contributions from Chris Martin, Brian Eno and Jo Whiley, unseen archive footage and hilarious backstage scenes in the present day.