It is the thrilling documentary story of Barnes' memoirs. It is the memoir that has upset the scales in Barnes' famous life. This documentary tells the story of his childhood survival in slums in Glasgow and immigration to Australia. Barnes recounts here his star and life and how he became the lead singer in the chill chisel, which may have thrown a real aspect of his life that looks quite different.
Moving, confronting and yet, a distinct pleasure to watch, the fine Australian-made documentary Working Class Boy examines two disarmingly vivid subjects for the price of one.
There's a matter-of-fact way that Barnes recounts stories of violence, alcoholism, abandonment and attempted sexual abuse that defined his youth that leave you reeling.
A raw and uncomfortably honest self-portrait that is often terribly sad and moving...As far as tributes go, this definitely is a worthy one, driven by the values of survival, persistence and hope.
Never mind all the hits, never mind the brilliance as a singer of soul, blues and ballads, apart from rock; the man has enormous reserves of strength. That's so attractive on screen: he has survived.
Instead, this feels like a feature-length edition of Who Do You Think You Are? as Barnes revisits his childhood homes and recounts episodes in his life when he witnessed domestic violence, extreme poverty and severe alcoholism.