Year:  2021

Director:  Craig Roberts

Rated:  M

Release:  July 14, 2022

Distributor: Universal

Running time: 106 minutes

Worth: $12.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth

Cast:
Mark Rylance, Sally Hawkins, Rhys Ifans, Steve Oram, Christian Lees, Jonah Lees, Jake Davies

Intro:
... pleasant viewing.

Sort through the abundance of working-class credos spruiked in British ‘true story’ comedy The Phantom of the Open and you’ll eventually land on the key message: No matter what your skill, it is better to try and fail than fail to try.

Director Craig Roberts (known for his lead performance in 2010’s coming-of-age film Submarine) musters an aggressively sweet comedy that follows the unbelievable story of British “professional” golfer Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance); A Northern-English crane operator who, through administerial oversight, qualifies for the 1976 British Open despite never having played a full round.

The hallmarks of British feel-good dramas permeate throughout Simon Farnaby’s (Paddington 2) screenplay, with the infrequent use of fantastical elements, ‘70s pop/soul anthems and engrossing zoom shots breaking up what is framed as a story of triumph in the face of classism. While The Phantom of the Open is twee, it cannot escape a mild air of condescension, as though the filmmakers were ‘coochie-cooing’ the unjust perseverance of working people.

Rylance is in fine form as Flitcroft, imbuing his soft-spoken and bumbling charm to likable effect. (That is not to say that he won’t cuss out any snooty golf-types who dare disrespect him.) Helping Flitcroft achieve his dream includes the likes of his eccentric family: blindingly supportive wife Jean (Sally Hawkins) and sons Michael (Jake Davies), Gene (Christian Lees) and James (Jonah Lees).

For those who can subscribe to Roberts’ fish-out-of-water tale of chasing your dreams and rising above class struggles, The Phantom of the Open offers pleasant viewing.

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