Brian Stimpson (John Cleese)is an uptight headmaster who likes everything and everyone to run like clockwork. He is due to attend a conference in Norwich, but unfortunately this seemingly straight forward trip proves to be anything but this and Stimpson finds himself facing setback after setback.
Whilst watching Clockwise, I couldn't help but feel that I was basically watching a feature-length episode of Fawlty Towers. This, in part, is down to Cleese's portrayal of Stimpson which he plays in a very similar manner to Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers. If you think about it the plot elements and scenarios that Stimpson faces aren't too dissimilar to Fawlty Towers - Stimpson, like Fawlty, is generally well-meaning, but ends up finding himself in fairly precarious situations more often not through basic misunderstandings. There's nothing wrong with any of this per se, but if you draw comparisons with Fawlty Towers (which it's almost impossible not to do if you've watched that series) then this film comes off as not being as well written or as funny. That's not to say that it isn't funny because it is, but it's only sporadically funny and isn't a laugh riot or ROFL funny.
Cleese is excellent in this film - whether he's playing it straight as the uptight head master or resorting to blind panic in the latter parts of the film it generally works and I found him to be funny in both respects. I also thought that the late John Bardon was great fun in a minor role as a train station guard. There were other performances that weren't so great; I thought that Sharon Maiden was rather bland and wooden (It's no surprise that she didn't have a great career after this film was made). Steadman has become reliable in later years, but I didn't think she was great in this film (although in fairness she wasn't given much to work with).
Clockwise is a film that I would recommend watching, but it isn't a laugh riot and is only sporadically funny. To be honest, I thought it started to run out of steam towards the end. As I've mentioned, Cleese is excellent and really carries the film and it's worth watching for his performance alone.
Whilst watching Clockwise, I couldn't help but feel that I was basically watching a feature-length episode of Fawlty Towers. This, in part, is down to Cleese's portrayal of Stimpson which he plays in a very similar manner to Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers. If you think about it the plot elements and scenarios that Stimpson faces aren't too dissimilar to Fawlty Towers - Stimpson, like Fawlty, is generally well-meaning, but ends up finding himself in fairly precarious situations more often not through basic misunderstandings. There's nothing wrong with any of this per se, but if you draw comparisons with Fawlty Towers (which it's almost impossible not to do if you've watched that series) then this film comes off as not being as well written or as funny. That's not to say that it isn't funny because it is, but it's only sporadically funny and isn't a laugh riot or ROFL funny.
Cleese is excellent in this film - whether he's playing it straight as the uptight head master or resorting to blind panic in the latter parts of the film it generally works and I found him to be funny in both respects. I also thought that the late John Bardon was great fun in a minor role as a train station guard. There were other performances that weren't so great; I thought that Sharon Maiden was rather bland and wooden (It's no surprise that she didn't have a great career after this film was made). Steadman has become reliable in later years, but I didn't think she was great in this film (although in fairness she wasn't given much to work with).
Clockwise is a film that I would recommend watching, but it isn't a laugh riot and is only sporadically funny. To be honest, I thought it started to run out of steam towards the end. As I've mentioned, Cleese is excellent and really carries the film and it's worth watching for his performance alone.