The Good Life meets The Vicar of Dibley. Minus the laughs.
Steven Frears' career is, for me, a bit up and down. He's had his greats; The Queen and The Grifters for sure, but a lot of his best work has been for TV and this is a BBC funded movie that feels more like a TV show. I have to say it is beautifully realised. The setting in England's green and pleasant Home Counties (or is it the West Country?) looks delightful and the lighting is excellent. But it doesn't do very much at all. It seems such a slight premise for a movie and really is about manners; English middle class manners.
Set amidst a writer's retreat the concept should tee up some goofy, oddball characters with the opportunity for considerable set piece fun, but for some reason Frears chooses not to go down that path, consequently the laughs are few and yet this is billed a comedy. As a morality tale (which it really aspires to being) it doesn't really preach any morals. Hardly anyone gets hurt (apart from the long suffering wife of lotharian crime writer Nicholas Hardiment - played rather well by Roger Allam) but even she gets a get out of jail free card and our eponymous 'heroine' seems to be celebrated for shagging pretty much every guy that crosses her path.
Gemma Arterton looks alright, but she's not exactly Marlyn Monroe and she acts OK (but little more than that). Apart from Roger Allam only Tamsin Greig as his aforementioned rug of a wife can claim any acting credits at all. The Greek Chorus of 15 year old troublemakers who stitch the movie together are not credible in the least and Drew's first catch, the uber-stereotypical rock and roll bad lad, played by Dominic Cooper has just steeped out of am dram to overact like a bastard.
This is a poor film folks. It's all packaging and no content. And the truth is; it's kinda dull. Save your money.
5/10
Steven Frears' career is, for me, a bit up and down. He's had his greats; The Queen and The Grifters for sure, but a lot of his best work has been for TV and this is a BBC funded movie that feels more like a TV show. I have to say it is beautifully realised. The setting in England's green and pleasant Home Counties (or is it the West Country?) looks delightful and the lighting is excellent. But it doesn't do very much at all. It seems such a slight premise for a movie and really is about manners; English middle class manners.
Set amidst a writer's retreat the concept should tee up some goofy, oddball characters with the opportunity for considerable set piece fun, but for some reason Frears chooses not to go down that path, consequently the laughs are few and yet this is billed a comedy. As a morality tale (which it really aspires to being) it doesn't really preach any morals. Hardly anyone gets hurt (apart from the long suffering wife of lotharian crime writer Nicholas Hardiment - played rather well by Roger Allam) but even she gets a get out of jail free card and our eponymous 'heroine' seems to be celebrated for shagging pretty much every guy that crosses her path.
Gemma Arterton looks alright, but she's not exactly Marlyn Monroe and she acts OK (but little more than that). Apart from Roger Allam only Tamsin Greig as his aforementioned rug of a wife can claim any acting credits at all. The Greek Chorus of 15 year old troublemakers who stitch the movie together are not credible in the least and Drew's first catch, the uber-stereotypical rock and roll bad lad, played by Dominic Cooper has just steeped out of am dram to overact like a bastard.
This is a poor film folks. It's all packaging and no content. And the truth is; it's kinda dull. Save your money.
5/10