Dir. Jeremy Brock, UK, 2006, 98 mins
Cast: Rupert Grint, Julie Walters, Laura Linney
Review by Carol Allen
Jeremy Brock not only has plenty of screenwriter credits (Mrs Brown, Charlotte Gray and co-creator of television's "Casualty"), he also has first hand experience of being the son of a vicar father and a controlling mother, and working as a young man for a strong willed older actress, in his case Peggy Ashcroft. It is that experience on which his first writer/director venture is based.
Ben (Grint) is 17 years old, living in an ultra conservative, God fearing, suburban household with his mild mannered vicar father (Nicholas Farrrell) and overbearing mother (Linney). His summer holidays consist of Bible classes, visiting the elderly and being taught to drive by his mother. Not a good idea in view of her personality and, not surprisingly, he fails his test. Life takes a turn for the better however when he gets a job helping out eccentric, retired actress Evie (Walters), who insists he drives her round despite his lack of a licence, introduces him to the joys of camping and drags him off on a trek to the Edinburgh Festival, where he meets lively fellow teenager Bryony (Michelle Duncan), who cures him of his awkwardness with girls and introduces him to experiences even Evie can't!
The centre of the film is what is in effect an intergenerational love story between Ben and Evie. While initially Walters seemed to be leaning a little on her "Mrs Overall" persona from her Victoria Wood days, once she gets into her stride she develops the character into a fully rounded, emotionally engaging woman with a strong character, human weaknesses - including an over fondness for red wine - and a wicked sense of fun, while Grint demonstrates he can do more than be Harry Potter's chum. It's a bit of a coming of age role for him as an actor. Linney breathes life into her largely unsympathetic role and has a convincing English accent and Farrell brings an interesting depth to his comparatively small part. While the plotting is sometimes a bit bumpy, and the climax at Ben's school play, while very funny and dramatically satisfying, is somewhat silly, the detail of suburban life rings true and the nuances of the intergenerational friendship between Evie and Ben are both funny and touching. It is also heartening and unusual to see such a strong and sympathetic leading role for an older woman.
|
