Lambert & Stamp

Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp were to the Who what Brian Epstein and Andrew Loog Oldham were, respectively, to the Beatles and Stones: managers, image-shapers and Svengali figures. This energetic documentary charts the unlikely relationship between the Oxbridge-educated Lambert, the rough-around-the-edges East End boy Stamp and the band they took on, initially at least, to fulfil their dreams of being film-makers. Director James D Cooper has plenty of archive to draw on from the Who's early days, and the dynamic way in which the footage is assembled complements the band's raucous sonic barrage. Stamp makes for an honest, enthusiastic and entertaining story-spinner, and there are contributions from his actor brother Terence, plus Who members Pete Townshend (as articulate as ever) and Roger Daltrey (his usual geezerish self). Like the collaborative partnership it portrays, the film begins with a bang but falters towards the end, and although there is a wealth of archive of Lambert in his prime, his death in 1981 is all but glossed over. For the most part, though, this offers an often fascinating insider's view of the Who from those who put them on the path to fame.