by Julian Wood
Worth: $15.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Tim Key, Carey Mulligan, Tom Basden, Akemnji Ndifornyen
Intro:
… emotionally rewarding.
What would you do if you won the lottery? Lots of exotic travel, maybe? But what happens when it all runs out? This is the set up for Charles (Tim Key), the main character in this gentle British drama, but his answer is less predictable. We learn early on that Charles is a passionate fan of a now-disbanded folk duo McGwyer Mortimer and so he decides to spend a ridiculous amount of money staging a comeback concert for the now-estranged duo.
All this is quickly-sketched in backstory and the real action happens when one half of the duo, Herb (Tom Basden) arrives at the little remote island where Charles lives. The slightly hangdog Herb only took the gig because of the huge fee, which he needs to boost his semi-flatlined recording career. He wasn’t prepared for how remote and primitive the island would be (it doesn’t even have a jetty as he finds when he has to wade waist deep to the shore). Nor was he prepared for how eccentric and annoying his host could be. Key plays Charles almost too much in that direction but his general ineptitude and lack of realisation that people need personal space is necessary for the arc of the fractious relationship with Herb. Basden, for his part, has the kind of face that is pretty much set to grumpy for the majority of the movie and Charles is indeed an infuriating presence. He would drive the most patient man up the wall. Key and Basden co-wrote the source material that this film is based on, and the odd coupling of the two men is the emotional heart of the film. No prizes for guessing how that arc lands.
The other dynamic here is the musical relationship. Charles is determined to get the duo back together, but he hasn’t thought it through. When Nell Mortimer arrives (the wonderful Carey Mulligan), it is obvious that this is going to be more than a little awkward. It doesn’t help that Nell has moved on and is happily married to her new husband (Akemnji Ndifornyen) – who soon gets the unresolved feelings vibe from Herb. Herb may have carried on recording, but he has been emotionally lost ever since.
The film is comparable to Bill Forsyth’s cult favourite Local Hero or even, in a different way, Fisherman’s Friends. These films trade off big events and a wide focus for the authenticity and charm of real characters having small but true moments. Nothing wrong with that and when it is done well (the cast are all in tune with the tone and the material), it can be emotionally rewarding.
