I was 12 years old when this came out, I'm Scottish, I'm male and I used to love Big Country. So guess what, I really like this film! It is however not the classic I remembered it to be. After years of searching I finally got this on DVD and I can now see as a grown adult that it does have some faults. The whole armed robbery aspect is a bit dodgy now and the ending is pretty poor too. All the rest is great though, the music is fantastic and the Scottish scenery is of course beautiful. The performances are great and I wonder why the cast never went onto bigger and better things? Instead of parts in dodgy Scottish soap Take the High Road! Ned Beatty is however a big name and its great an actor of his stature would appear in a low budget Scottish film. Good on you Ned! I'm delighted this film has at last appeared on DVD and its not bad but some more extras would have been the icing on the cake. Highly Recommended.
38 Reviews
A mild adventure comedy
CuriosityKilledShawn26 June 2004
It takes a lot to get around the alarmingly 80's Edinburgh featured in this movie. A lot has changed since then and since the movie is about 2 guys who are bored with their lives, the city scenes are shot in the most drab and depressing way possible. This only accentuates their adventures in the countryside.
Basically Ronnie and Will are on the edge. They hate their lives so much and decide that a little highway robbery in the highlands would be just the fun they are looking for. What begins as a little fun soon leads to them becoming local heroes and, by the end, immortal legends.
With good characters, some funny scenes and a nice feel-good factor towards the end, Restless Natives makes for easily diverting entertainment. It's long, long out of print and ancient VHS ex-rental copies go for £135 at online auction sites. I think a DVD release is rather overdue. I hope it comes in widescreen when it does. I am unsure or the original aspect ratio but the copy I saw was in pan and scan and the lack of wide shot in the countryside scenes felt awkward and disorientating.
The mangled Glaswegian accents did NOT fit the Edinburgh setting though.
Basically Ronnie and Will are on the edge. They hate their lives so much and decide that a little highway robbery in the highlands would be just the fun they are looking for. What begins as a little fun soon leads to them becoming local heroes and, by the end, immortal legends.
With good characters, some funny scenes and a nice feel-good factor towards the end, Restless Natives makes for easily diverting entertainment. It's long, long out of print and ancient VHS ex-rental copies go for £135 at online auction sites. I think a DVD release is rather overdue. I hope it comes in widescreen when it does. I am unsure or the original aspect ratio but the copy I saw was in pan and scan and the lack of wide shot in the countryside scenes felt awkward and disorientating.
The mangled Glaswegian accents did NOT fit the Edinburgh setting though.
Charming and funny film from Scotland
Texcue3 March 2005
Restless Natives is a lovely little curiosity of a film from Scotland. I first discovered the film as a kid and had watched it about 4 times, and had very fond memories of it. On seeing it again recently, I think it is a minor masterpiece of Scottish Comedy. Great idea, fun script, charming acting, good supporting cast, great uplifting music from Big Country and beautiful locations. As a Scotsman, we always get a bit patriotic seeing Scottish locations and hearing Scottish accents in films, and this doesn't disappoint. Forget Braveheart, this is a film that makes me proud to be a Scot. Now, I'm not saying this is by any means a brilliant film... I'm saying that if you like your comedies quirky, silly, fun and with a bit of heart then this is for you. Fantastic acting from Vincent Friell, Joe Mullaney, Bernard Hill, Robert Urquart and Ned Beatty. This film is great, I urge anyone who has seen it years ago to go and get the DVD when it comes out - you won't be disappointed. Favourite moments have to be Vincent's sweeping in the park, the cop in the joke shop, any scene with Ned Beatty and that brilliant chase across Scotland at the end. Yes, there are plenty of weak points in this film too but it makes me smile so much I don't care.
Involving, and really well pitched coming of age film about youngsters growing up in Scotland, getting to grips with girls; careers; life and everything.
johnnyboyz15 December 2010
Restless Natives will begin with a series of intimidating compositions introducing to us two young men in ownership of a motorcycle and whom appear to be somewhat less than hospitable. In close up format of various parts of their bodies, the pair don helmets and leather clothing to an ominous drum beating periodically so as to ride out into the rural nothingness of what turns out to be the Scottish highlands. They are there to rob, thieve and steal from the hapless people inhabiting vehicles whom may make their way down the remote road nearby; and when one car does arrive housing an upper-class English family out on holiday, they fail to impose themselves and the attempted robbery actually turns into a coming to the aid of the lost family. The film jumps from one thing to another in relatively quick time, painting an image of the people we're supposed to be dealing with before effectively demythifying them as these amateurish and rather hapless young men trying to raise money. Therein lies the nature of the film, a piece going to impressive lengths to deconstruct and explore two young Scottish men as well as their lives and mindsets after being later labelled as something else, in what is an an edifying and thoroughly engaging little British film from 1985 which really hits the marks it aims for.
Vincent Friell plays one of them, named Will; a young man who's the son of a married couple and a brother to one sister living a working class life in Scotland. He sweeps roads, but maintains a healthy relationship with his family and other young friend of equal age Ronnie (Mullaney), a local kid who's an employee of the town's joke shop. Both of the boys are at a stage in their lives in which aspirations are appearing to form and the moulding of the early stages of adulthood appear ostensible, with both boy's issues and problems primarily work and girl orientated; Will despises his luckless job as a road sweeper and running the joke shop can be rather a pain for Ronnie. One day, out of sheer blind maddening suggestion in what effectively begins as a bit of fun, they decide to use some joke shop equipment in a pair of masks, a toy Luger pistol and a foam gun; ride up into the hills as they've done so before and rob coach loads of tourists. What follows is a film which hops from coming of age tale; to romance; to police procedural thriller all wrapped up into one really effective delivery.
American director Michael Hoffman, working from a Ninian Dunnett script, keeps everything in check; aside from the romp that it is, Restless Natives is ultimately a cautionary tale about the pratfalls of crime and a somewhat lowly conceived adopting of celebrity status. Aside from anything else, it is a very good and very involving one. The two attain somewhat of a cult following as the police, led by Ned Beatty's character, struggle to apprehend them; effectively rendering them Robin Hood figures in that their taking from the people specifically there so as to pump money back into the system, through tourism, before distributing the cash to, on occasion, the homeless around the area. An irony here reading something along the lines of tourism in the area booming like rarely before, because of the potential at being held up by these two or the chance of catching a glimpse of them. The social affect the two anonymous thieves have on everybody is highlighted in Will's own father's (played by Bernard Hill) natural reaction to them upon a newspaper report; here being a man whom berates the charge on his gas bill before complimenting the two bandits on their work he deems was was only going to pump money back into the already established-to-be-greedy system in the first place.
Things become complicated when Will spies local tour guide Margot (Lally) during one of the runs, the venturing to the coach depot a dangerous ploy in the face of blind affection to do what he does in attempting to find her so as to woo her. Margot's attraction to Will is natural and unforced, her fascination with folk figures or mythical people whom have gone on to become legends, or whatnot, is the reason she's a tour guide thanks to her knowledge on such things; in Will, a person whom has been previously labelled exactly this is right in front of her and beginning to interact with her. Complications arise, people close to the leads begin to discover the truths surrounding them and Will's own relationship with Ronnie hits its own barriers when the moral implications of their actions are explored.
Hoffman balances all of the strands, characters and content really well; Will's actions eventually seeing him congratulated by a shady English criminal at a local snooker club as well as those of a similar sort around him. The club of which is decked out in a dangerous red shade, those located within of a criminal mindset and here highlighting the path Will seems to have been given the opportunity to go down should he so wish; his brief newfound sense of friendship with these people echoing what he had before with Ronnie in the joke shop. The locales are key here, the joke shop being an operative place of business more broadly representing a righteous and moral way of life through earning a living; with the snooker club and most of those whom inhabit it a path more representative of an immoral or sinful way of life, somewhere by which robbing people effectively gets you. Restless Natives appears to be the sort of rare find one just doesn't discover, and at a time when the current climate of coming of age tales are mostly processions of crass and putrid sex jokes, it is a crying shame more people apparently cannot be exposed to films such as this.
Vincent Friell plays one of them, named Will; a young man who's the son of a married couple and a brother to one sister living a working class life in Scotland. He sweeps roads, but maintains a healthy relationship with his family and other young friend of equal age Ronnie (Mullaney), a local kid who's an employee of the town's joke shop. Both of the boys are at a stage in their lives in which aspirations are appearing to form and the moulding of the early stages of adulthood appear ostensible, with both boy's issues and problems primarily work and girl orientated; Will despises his luckless job as a road sweeper and running the joke shop can be rather a pain for Ronnie. One day, out of sheer blind maddening suggestion in what effectively begins as a bit of fun, they decide to use some joke shop equipment in a pair of masks, a toy Luger pistol and a foam gun; ride up into the hills as they've done so before and rob coach loads of tourists. What follows is a film which hops from coming of age tale; to romance; to police procedural thriller all wrapped up into one really effective delivery.
American director Michael Hoffman, working from a Ninian Dunnett script, keeps everything in check; aside from the romp that it is, Restless Natives is ultimately a cautionary tale about the pratfalls of crime and a somewhat lowly conceived adopting of celebrity status. Aside from anything else, it is a very good and very involving one. The two attain somewhat of a cult following as the police, led by Ned Beatty's character, struggle to apprehend them; effectively rendering them Robin Hood figures in that their taking from the people specifically there so as to pump money back into the system, through tourism, before distributing the cash to, on occasion, the homeless around the area. An irony here reading something along the lines of tourism in the area booming like rarely before, because of the potential at being held up by these two or the chance of catching a glimpse of them. The social affect the two anonymous thieves have on everybody is highlighted in Will's own father's (played by Bernard Hill) natural reaction to them upon a newspaper report; here being a man whom berates the charge on his gas bill before complimenting the two bandits on their work he deems was was only going to pump money back into the already established-to-be-greedy system in the first place.
Things become complicated when Will spies local tour guide Margot (Lally) during one of the runs, the venturing to the coach depot a dangerous ploy in the face of blind affection to do what he does in attempting to find her so as to woo her. Margot's attraction to Will is natural and unforced, her fascination with folk figures or mythical people whom have gone on to become legends, or whatnot, is the reason she's a tour guide thanks to her knowledge on such things; in Will, a person whom has been previously labelled exactly this is right in front of her and beginning to interact with her. Complications arise, people close to the leads begin to discover the truths surrounding them and Will's own relationship with Ronnie hits its own barriers when the moral implications of their actions are explored.
Hoffman balances all of the strands, characters and content really well; Will's actions eventually seeing him congratulated by a shady English criminal at a local snooker club as well as those of a similar sort around him. The club of which is decked out in a dangerous red shade, those located within of a criminal mindset and here highlighting the path Will seems to have been given the opportunity to go down should he so wish; his brief newfound sense of friendship with these people echoing what he had before with Ronnie in the joke shop. The locales are key here, the joke shop being an operative place of business more broadly representing a righteous and moral way of life through earning a living; with the snooker club and most of those whom inhabit it a path more representative of an immoral or sinful way of life, somewhere by which robbing people effectively gets you. Restless Natives appears to be the sort of rare find one just doesn't discover, and at a time when the current climate of coming of age tales are mostly processions of crass and putrid sex jokes, it is a crying shame more people apparently cannot be exposed to films such as this.
Marvelous off-beat film that is truly enjoyable
paluska2 January 2000
For Americans, it might take a "wee bit" of getting use to the Scottish accents, but this loopy, off-beat picture is so good and so entertaining, the viewer just sits back and takes it all in. Two boys who work at a Magic Store by day make their own "magic" as they rob tourist buses after work. Ned Beatty is fine, as always. This film is a real gem: the kind you just wish would get more publicity so that so many more would see and enjoy it. Savor it--and tell your friends!
nostalgia outweighs flaws
cannyplay8 August 2006
A film that improves with age for anyone who is/was a resident of Edinburgh as it has a nice nostalgic feel to it. Technically, the film is beautifully shot with a combination of Edinburgh council estates and the more tourist friendly city centre and the sprawling backdrop of the Scottish highlands. The acting is acceptable at most but a common complaint with any film set in the east coast is the west coast accents used throughout. Another confusing matter is the use of Glasgow in some scenes (the cemetery scenes)although these problems would appear to be superficial to anyone outside Edinburgh. Overall a pleasant, pre - irony slice of Scottish cinema.
An entertaining Scottish film. Really.
davemain28 October 2002
I saw this film years ago, taped it from TV and watched it over and over. I wait patiently for some distributer to produce 'Restless Natives' on DVD so that it can, once more, be a part of my collection.
Onto the film: it is rare that you see a Scottish film that is entertaining, doesn't have actors forcing their accents and actually makes you think "being Scottish isn't so bad" - this film actually fits the bill.
It takes the old "Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid" formula, transplants it into Scotland, and provides non stop entertainment - you may even be inspired to wear a clown mask and rob tourist buses whilst becoming Scotlands greatest tourist attraction too; it can be that inspiring.
Other reviews state that this film has a weak ending, however I feel that there was nowhere else for the film to go; this statement in itself doesn't make too much sense until you have seen the film though.
All in all, an enjoyable film that will bring a smile to most faces and perhaps even relight the fire of Scottish patriotism. You may even enjoy the "Big Country" soundtrack.
Onto the film: it is rare that you see a Scottish film that is entertaining, doesn't have actors forcing their accents and actually makes you think "being Scottish isn't so bad" - this film actually fits the bill.
It takes the old "Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid" formula, transplants it into Scotland, and provides non stop entertainment - you may even be inspired to wear a clown mask and rob tourist buses whilst becoming Scotlands greatest tourist attraction too; it can be that inspiring.
Other reviews state that this film has a weak ending, however I feel that there was nowhere else for the film to go; this statement in itself doesn't make too much sense until you have seen the film though.
All in all, an enjoyable film that will bring a smile to most faces and perhaps even relight the fire of Scottish patriotism. You may even enjoy the "Big Country" soundtrack.
Good For The Most Part
Theo Robertson23 July 2002
This has got to be one the most funny and entertaining films ever to have been set in Scotland . My only gripes are the accents are obviously West of Scotland when it`s set in Edinburgh , a pedantic point but I come from Edinburgh originally but have spent most of my life in the West of Scotland so the erroneous accents stick out a mile to the trained ear , and the fact RESTLESS NATIVES suffers very badly from a weak ending . But this film is still a lot of fun
Class Movie
Tengsted22 December 2001
I remember seeing this movie as a teenager. Having lived in Edinburgh, it felt great watching a place you know well on the silver screen.
The typical Scottish Humour is played well throughout. My only gripe being the actors are all West Coasters, and not East Coasters, where they are supposed to be.
The final scenes where they are chased through Edinburgh are fantastic, as is the wonderful soundtrack, by Big Country. The music in the film is a great memorial to Stuart Adamson.
If you are an Ex-Pat Scot, then watch this movie, and you'll be transported home.
The typical Scottish Humour is played well throughout. My only gripe being the actors are all West Coasters, and not East Coasters, where they are supposed to be.
The final scenes where they are chased through Edinburgh are fantastic, as is the wonderful soundtrack, by Big Country. The music in the film is a great memorial to Stuart Adamson.
If you are an Ex-Pat Scot, then watch this movie, and you'll be transported home.
A Fair Attempt
Sumpmonster26 December 2020
Riding on the wave of understated, witty Scottish comedies precursorred by Bill Forsyth came this interesting little movie. While it doesn't reach the heights of Gregory's Girl or Local Hero, this is an amusing way to spend 90 minutes. The script isn't great and most of the characters outwith of the leads are mostly dislkeable, but there is certain charm to it, backed up by some well respected supporting actors. Aside from the scenery, the rambunctious soundtrack by Big Country gives the movie real heart/
Restless Natives
Prismark1027 February 2021
In 1985 two American directors came to Scotland to make a movie and jump on the Bill Forsyth bandwagon.
Cary Parker made The Girl in the Picture. Michael Hoffman made Restless Natives.
To be fair you would be hard pushed to think that both movies were made by Americans. However they did fail to capture the fabled Scottish whimsy which Forsyth could do effortlessly.
Restless Natives is about two friends living in Edinburgh and their lives is going nowhere.
Ronnie (Joe Mullaney) works in a joke shop. Will (Vincent Friell) worked as a street cleaner but was soon fired.
They decide to become modern highwaymen by robbing tour busses usually full of American tourists that traipse around the highlands. To hide their identity Ronnie wears a clown mask and Will wears a wolf mask.
Pretty soon both become local heroes courtesy of throwing some of their money away to people in need.
The police and one CIA agent (Ned Beatty) do not see the funny side of these robberies.
The movie was regarded as quirky and charming at the time of its release. Now it looks like a hotchpot screenplay. It is hard to root for two teenagers robbing older holidaymakers with guns.
It was a surprise that their identities remained undiscovered given that all the kids in the neighbourhood knew who they were as well as so many others.
Even the love interest between Will and a young Scot tour guide was a bit of a stretch.
You really have to take the movie as a flight of fancy and fantasy.
The best thing about the movie was the music from Big Country. Back in the day they were regarded as equals with U2 with their rousing Celtic guitar sound.
Cary Parker made The Girl in the Picture. Michael Hoffman made Restless Natives.
To be fair you would be hard pushed to think that both movies were made by Americans. However they did fail to capture the fabled Scottish whimsy which Forsyth could do effortlessly.
Restless Natives is about two friends living in Edinburgh and their lives is going nowhere.
Ronnie (Joe Mullaney) works in a joke shop. Will (Vincent Friell) worked as a street cleaner but was soon fired.
They decide to become modern highwaymen by robbing tour busses usually full of American tourists that traipse around the highlands. To hide their identity Ronnie wears a clown mask and Will wears a wolf mask.
Pretty soon both become local heroes courtesy of throwing some of their money away to people in need.
The police and one CIA agent (Ned Beatty) do not see the funny side of these robberies.
The movie was regarded as quirky and charming at the time of its release. Now it looks like a hotchpot screenplay. It is hard to root for two teenagers robbing older holidaymakers with guns.
It was a surprise that their identities remained undiscovered given that all the kids in the neighbourhood knew who they were as well as so many others.
Even the love interest between Will and a young Scot tour guide was a bit of a stretch.
You really have to take the movie as a flight of fancy and fantasy.
The best thing about the movie was the music from Big Country. Back in the day they were regarded as equals with U2 with their rousing Celtic guitar sound.
In a Big Country laughs stay with you...
rooprect10 December 2020
Yes, if you didn't already know, the excellent soundtrack of this film was composed by Stuart Adamson and performed by his band Big Country. We'll get to that in a minute. "Restless Natives" is a cute, quirky, distinctly Scottish comedy about 2 young losers who flirt with a life of crime, only to become national heroes for it.
The presentation is wonderfully absurd. Don't expect realism. Don't raise any eyebrows when our 2 anti-heroes rob scores of people using pink plastic toy guns. And don't scoff when the victims of their robberies swoon in admiration as if they'd just met the Jonas Brothers. This film immerses us in a farcical universe where people act & react strangely, and it's that farcical presentation that makes us realize that perhaps this story is a deeper allegory, a satire about the cult of personality the way the classic "Bonnie & Clyde" (1967) hit us.
Being set in Scotland, a country that prides itself in a history of rebels, rogues and rapscallions, "Restless Natives" is almost believable--that a pair of lovable loser criminals could become mythical heroes overnight--and that's what makes this film extra fun. There is no real malice, no heavy moralizing, no contrived melodrama. It's like a clean, modern fable from start to finish. Scotland style.
And that leads me to the soundtrack as promised. If you're not familiar with the magic of the 80s-90s band "Big Country" then get familiar asap. Famous for their distant bagpipe-sounding guitars and traditional highland folk melodies and rhythms, the music compliments the story as well as the glorious landscapes prominently featured in the film. Big Country fans will instantly recognize Stuart's e-bow guitar melodies (reminiscent of the song "The Storm") as well as the band's distinct 6/8 drum beats, melodic bass parts and percussive guitar rhythms that we heard all over their 1983 debut album "The Crossing". Most of the music here is instrumental, but there is one great song "Restless Natives" near the end where Stuart sings, and the final scenes of stunning landscape are perfectly complimented by the song "Come Back to Me" from BC's 2nd album. Much like Queen's iconic soundtrack to "Flash Gordon" (1980), Big Country's sound is clearly stamped on this film in the same memorable way.
"Restless Natives" was a big hit in Scotland though I never heard a peep about it in the USA. I suppose 1985 was a busy year in American theaters with the likes of "The Breakfast Club", "Weird Science" and my favorite teen comedy "Better Off Dead" (incidentally the star of this film Vincent Friell bears a striking resemblence to John Cusack, including the perpetual deer-in-the-headlights stare). So congratulate yourself for stumbling on this obscure gem. Don't miss it!
The presentation is wonderfully absurd. Don't expect realism. Don't raise any eyebrows when our 2 anti-heroes rob scores of people using pink plastic toy guns. And don't scoff when the victims of their robberies swoon in admiration as if they'd just met the Jonas Brothers. This film immerses us in a farcical universe where people act & react strangely, and it's that farcical presentation that makes us realize that perhaps this story is a deeper allegory, a satire about the cult of personality the way the classic "Bonnie & Clyde" (1967) hit us.
Being set in Scotland, a country that prides itself in a history of rebels, rogues and rapscallions, "Restless Natives" is almost believable--that a pair of lovable loser criminals could become mythical heroes overnight--and that's what makes this film extra fun. There is no real malice, no heavy moralizing, no contrived melodrama. It's like a clean, modern fable from start to finish. Scotland style.
And that leads me to the soundtrack as promised. If you're not familiar with the magic of the 80s-90s band "Big Country" then get familiar asap. Famous for their distant bagpipe-sounding guitars and traditional highland folk melodies and rhythms, the music compliments the story as well as the glorious landscapes prominently featured in the film. Big Country fans will instantly recognize Stuart's e-bow guitar melodies (reminiscent of the song "The Storm") as well as the band's distinct 6/8 drum beats, melodic bass parts and percussive guitar rhythms that we heard all over their 1983 debut album "The Crossing". Most of the music here is instrumental, but there is one great song "Restless Natives" near the end where Stuart sings, and the final scenes of stunning landscape are perfectly complimented by the song "Come Back to Me" from BC's 2nd album. Much like Queen's iconic soundtrack to "Flash Gordon" (1980), Big Country's sound is clearly stamped on this film in the same memorable way.
"Restless Natives" was a big hit in Scotland though I never heard a peep about it in the USA. I suppose 1985 was a busy year in American theaters with the likes of "The Breakfast Club", "Weird Science" and my favorite teen comedy "Better Off Dead" (incidentally the star of this film Vincent Friell bears a striking resemblence to John Cusack, including the perpetual deer-in-the-headlights stare). So congratulate yourself for stumbling on this obscure gem. Don't miss it!
Woefully unfunny
malcolmgsw3 January 2022
The number of Scottish films that are successful whimsical comedies you can count on the fingers of one hand. Whiskey Galore,The Maggie,,Gregories Girl and Local Hero. This film definitely not. I didn't laugh once
Though of course that maybe because the Scottish accents were impenetrable. It is not surprising that this film was a hit in Scotland but unseen in the rest of the world.
Favourite film of all time
choll1513 June 2001
I used to watch this on video when sharing a house with a friend of mine and it became a classic apres beer movie! Seen dozens of times -Word for word, scene for scene Restless Natives will grow on you like a wart on Wills finger. True devotees of this movie unite! I am now without a copy of the movie and a poorer person because of it!
Must fly... could fair go a pee m'self!!
Must fly... could fair go a pee m'self!!
A Gem
veefermadness16 September 2006
I first saw this movie in about 1986. Back then I was 15 and loved razzing round on motorbikes (still do!). I also regularly went on holiday to the North West of Scotland, Glencoe in particular, and was delighted to see a lot of the beautiful scenery of that part of Scotland captured within this film.
There are some excellent performances from the main characters, Joe Mullaney and Vincent Freill, not that well known, except in Scotland, but great nonetheless. Perhaps more famous are the actors who played supporting roles, Ned Beatty, Bernard Hill, Robert Urquhart, and cameos from the likes of Brian Forbes, Nanette Newman and Mel Smith.
The Soundtrack is also worth noting. I'm not a fan of Big Country, but the music that they produced for this film is absolutely excellent and complements it completely. I loved the soundtrack for this so much, that I spent 13 years tracking it down! At first it was only available as 2 b-sides split across 2 12-inch singles they had out, but eventually they released it in its entirety on 'Restless Natives - Hits and rarities' in 1998. It's a double cd, I bought it for the 35 minute soundtrack on the 2nd CD and that's the only stuff I play from Big Country - sorry boys! The movie itself was also quite elusive! I had a copy on VHS that I recorded off the telly. It was commercially available on VHS in the late 80's early 90's, then was discontinued! There then followed about 12 years of not being able to buy it at all. The surge of DVD re-issues of old films seemed to overlook Restless Natives for what seemed like an eternity, I had begun to think the Oxford Film Foundation had lost the original film reels! DVD copies of the original VHS were beginning to appear on Ebay, with the original VHS itself starting to attract a premium! Then, all of a sudden, in 2005, 20 years after it's original release, 'Optimum Releasing' brought it out on DVD in full glory! Hurrah! A bonus with the DVD is a short interview with Vincent Friell, who played Will. He looks a bit different after 20 years! Classic little bits to look out for in no particular order:- -Little old lady, mother of 'wee Angus' belting Ronnie Witherspoon unbelievably hard across the face with her hand before beating him remorselessly with a joke rubber squeaky baseball bat while Will disguises himself with a Groucho Marx Nose, Glasses and Moustache kit . - Classic physical comedy. -Watch Will playing with the green slime in the background while Ronnie is speaking to the policeman in the joke shop. Both of them provide an excellent depiction of two lads who think they're gonna get 'found out'. But all the copper wants is to buy a pair of false breasts! -Check out Will rocking back on his chair while talking to his dad at the dinner table. He just about leans back past the point of no return, before recovering it just as his dad shouts at his sister. -The street cleaner who spins his cart round with joy as he's just swept up loads of money, nearly overturns the whole thing! -Look out for the sign pointing to Glencoe Village before the scene where they're arrested. Anyone who's been to the 'Clachaig hotel' in Glencoe will recognise it! All in all, a cracking little movie, well shot, well acted, good soundtrack, lovely scenery. Pace is pretty much spot-on, although if I was pushed, I'd say it drags a touch towards the last quarter of the movie, only because the beginning and middle flow so well. Nice little twist at the end. Definitely worth a watch!
There are some excellent performances from the main characters, Joe Mullaney and Vincent Freill, not that well known, except in Scotland, but great nonetheless. Perhaps more famous are the actors who played supporting roles, Ned Beatty, Bernard Hill, Robert Urquhart, and cameos from the likes of Brian Forbes, Nanette Newman and Mel Smith.
The Soundtrack is also worth noting. I'm not a fan of Big Country, but the music that they produced for this film is absolutely excellent and complements it completely. I loved the soundtrack for this so much, that I spent 13 years tracking it down! At first it was only available as 2 b-sides split across 2 12-inch singles they had out, but eventually they released it in its entirety on 'Restless Natives - Hits and rarities' in 1998. It's a double cd, I bought it for the 35 minute soundtrack on the 2nd CD and that's the only stuff I play from Big Country - sorry boys! The movie itself was also quite elusive! I had a copy on VHS that I recorded off the telly. It was commercially available on VHS in the late 80's early 90's, then was discontinued! There then followed about 12 years of not being able to buy it at all. The surge of DVD re-issues of old films seemed to overlook Restless Natives for what seemed like an eternity, I had begun to think the Oxford Film Foundation had lost the original film reels! DVD copies of the original VHS were beginning to appear on Ebay, with the original VHS itself starting to attract a premium! Then, all of a sudden, in 2005, 20 years after it's original release, 'Optimum Releasing' brought it out on DVD in full glory! Hurrah! A bonus with the DVD is a short interview with Vincent Friell, who played Will. He looks a bit different after 20 years! Classic little bits to look out for in no particular order:- -Little old lady, mother of 'wee Angus' belting Ronnie Witherspoon unbelievably hard across the face with her hand before beating him remorselessly with a joke rubber squeaky baseball bat while Will disguises himself with a Groucho Marx Nose, Glasses and Moustache kit . - Classic physical comedy. -Watch Will playing with the green slime in the background while Ronnie is speaking to the policeman in the joke shop. Both of them provide an excellent depiction of two lads who think they're gonna get 'found out'. But all the copper wants is to buy a pair of false breasts! -Check out Will rocking back on his chair while talking to his dad at the dinner table. He just about leans back past the point of no return, before recovering it just as his dad shouts at his sister. -The street cleaner who spins his cart round with joy as he's just swept up loads of money, nearly overturns the whole thing! -Look out for the sign pointing to Glencoe Village before the scene where they're arrested. Anyone who's been to the 'Clachaig hotel' in Glencoe will recognise it! All in all, a cracking little movie, well shot, well acted, good soundtrack, lovely scenery. Pace is pretty much spot-on, although if I was pushed, I'd say it drags a touch towards the last quarter of the movie, only because the beginning and middle flow so well. Nice little twist at the end. Definitely worth a watch!
Fun, fabulous & freewheelin' film...
nastysark24 July 2000
This is the kind of film that always cracks a smile on your dial. It's cute without being irritating, it's stupid without being offensive - it's all you want in an old fashioned comedy. And the accents are like honey lozengers; infact this is the very film you should watch if you are ill, or recovering from a hangover wrapped in a blanket infront of the TV. And the soundtrack by Big Country is an absolute hoot! What a film!!
On Their Bikes
Lejink17 September 2022
I really wanted to like this movie. It was recommended to me by a friend and it's set in Scotland my home country. It's obviously attempting to tap in on the type of feel-good contemporary light-comedies brought to the fore by the likes of Bill Forsyth, but I'm sorry to say that for me it fell pretty flat.
From the start I was unconvinced of the premise of the film, two discontented Edinburgh teenagers hatch a get-rich-quick plan by becoming masked motorbiker highwaymen preying on tour buses usually containing wealthy American tourists.
When the incompetent local police fail to catch them they then start to distribute their loot to the needy in society and so become popular local heroes of the Robin hood type, catching the wider public's imagination in the process, to the point where Americans send in the FBI and their exploits reach a global TV audience.
One of the lads even finds love on the bus as he romances a pretty young tour guide who apparently can see literally, behind the mask. Meanwhile his partner-in-crime has decided that he wants to move into the big time and hooks up with the gangland set to carry out a major hold-up on the Women's Institute annual coach outing. It's no surprise of course to learn that the girlfriend is on duty that day on that very bus, leading to the inevitable coming together of all the plot strands for the denouement, such as it is.
Maybe being Scottish I apply a higher level of criticism on films from my native country but I just found the whole enterprise embarrassingly lame. The young actors in the leads all look and sound as if they're still in their first year at the R. S. A. M. D. And the comedy itself is contrived, weak and forced.
There's also some unnecessary racial stereotyping and I was certainly offended by the casual use of the racially-abusive "P-word" at one point.
Unsurprisingly, it was thought necessary to cast some established actors in supporting roles such as Bernard Hill, whose attempt at a Scottish accent fails to cross the border and Ned Beatty who's required to submit to dragging up for a cheap laugh at the conclusion.
For a much better and entertaining film showing how the disaffected youth of the Thatcher era in Scotland might rebel against the establishment, look no further than Forsyth's "That Sinking Feeling" from a few years earlier. But really apart from some nice location shots of places well known to me personally such as central Edinburgh, Queens Park in Glasgow and parts of Argyll and an easily recognisable soundtrack by the late Stuart Adamson of the band Big Country, I mostly winced with embarrassment at this rather puerile and clumsily executed attempt at comedy.
From the start I was unconvinced of the premise of the film, two discontented Edinburgh teenagers hatch a get-rich-quick plan by becoming masked motorbiker highwaymen preying on tour buses usually containing wealthy American tourists.
When the incompetent local police fail to catch them they then start to distribute their loot to the needy in society and so become popular local heroes of the Robin hood type, catching the wider public's imagination in the process, to the point where Americans send in the FBI and their exploits reach a global TV audience.
One of the lads even finds love on the bus as he romances a pretty young tour guide who apparently can see literally, behind the mask. Meanwhile his partner-in-crime has decided that he wants to move into the big time and hooks up with the gangland set to carry out a major hold-up on the Women's Institute annual coach outing. It's no surprise of course to learn that the girlfriend is on duty that day on that very bus, leading to the inevitable coming together of all the plot strands for the denouement, such as it is.
Maybe being Scottish I apply a higher level of criticism on films from my native country but I just found the whole enterprise embarrassingly lame. The young actors in the leads all look and sound as if they're still in their first year at the R. S. A. M. D. And the comedy itself is contrived, weak and forced.
There's also some unnecessary racial stereotyping and I was certainly offended by the casual use of the racially-abusive "P-word" at one point.
Unsurprisingly, it was thought necessary to cast some established actors in supporting roles such as Bernard Hill, whose attempt at a Scottish accent fails to cross the border and Ned Beatty who's required to submit to dragging up for a cheap laugh at the conclusion.
For a much better and entertaining film showing how the disaffected youth of the Thatcher era in Scotland might rebel against the establishment, look no further than Forsyth's "That Sinking Feeling" from a few years earlier. But really apart from some nice location shots of places well known to me personally such as central Edinburgh, Queens Park in Glasgow and parts of Argyll and an easily recognisable soundtrack by the late Stuart Adamson of the band Big Country, I mostly winced with embarrassment at this rather puerile and clumsily executed attempt at comedy.
If you find this film on sale
neilprivate25 August 2004
Please post if you find this film on sale...or if you can find the rights to it. I'm desperate to sign it up and resell it on DVD.
This is one of my favourite films of all time. I have looked high and low for a copy. I now find myself in the position of head of acquisitions at a film distributor...and I'm really looking for the film owner. If you are the owner or know who it is please let me know. I'd love to get this out on sale again as I love it, but also I think it's an undiscovred treat for the rest of the world that never saw it.
Cheers
Neil
This is one of my favourite films of all time. I have looked high and low for a copy. I now find myself in the position of head of acquisitions at a film distributor...and I'm really looking for the film owner. If you are the owner or know who it is please let me know. I'd love to get this out on sale again as I love it, but also I think it's an undiscovred treat for the rest of the world that never saw it.
Cheers
Neil
Unremarkable.
Howlin Wolf23 May 2001
Admittedly, I did see this ages ago, so the intervening years may have been kind; but I couldn't find much to recommend it then, and I suspect my opinion would be much the same now. Fairly witless premise (based on a true story?) handled in a pedestrian manner. For a 'comedy', I can't recall laughing too many times (except in a 'how much more stupid can it get?' way) Needless to say, that's bad.
Now available on DVD
globetrotter7 June 2005
I saw this hilarious film about 15 years ago and have been waiting to get hold of a copy ever since.
As a result I can't remember a huge amount about it that hasn't already been mentioned, but the reason for posting is below.
The good news is that as of April 18th 2005, it is now available on DVD.
It is available from the usual retailers.. e.g. amazon, play.com etc.
ASIN for the Region 2 version is B0007SMDCI
It is released by Optimum Home Entertainment
Enjoy... I'm getting my order in right away in case it gets deleted again
As a result I can't remember a huge amount about it that hasn't already been mentioned, but the reason for posting is below.
The good news is that as of April 18th 2005, it is now available on DVD.
It is available from the usual retailers.. e.g. amazon, play.com etc.
ASIN for the Region 2 version is B0007SMDCI
It is released by Optimum Home Entertainment
Enjoy... I'm getting my order in right away in case it gets deleted again
Excellent
WOT1 April 1999
This is one of my most favorite movies of all time. I've seen a few times on t.v. in England and I really enjoyed this film a lot. The story centers around two Edinburgh lads Will (Vincent Friell) and Ronnie (Joe Mullaney) who are always broke and plan to get cash by robbing tourist buses in non violent ways disguised as a clown and a wolf man. A great film worth seeing and more than once.
Charming, beautiful and funny
tomgillespie200219 August 2011
This is one of those films that I almost blindly rented on video as a naive ten year old cineaste. I knew nothing about it, but remember that the film stayed with me long after viewing it. So much so, that I remembered it as an adult, yet had not seen it since that one rental in 1986. I absolutely adored the film as a youngster, and did not hesitate in telling all of my friends about it. And the chain continued, as I "turned on" my mates to this little Scottish gem of a film. But would the film charm me as it did back then?
The film focuses on Will (Vincent Friell) and Ronnie (Joe Mullaney), friends from Edinburgh who work together in a novelty shop. They both dream of bigger things. They start to hold up tourist buses in the highlands. Whilst they manage to get money from the American tourist, they also act them out in incredibly polite manner. Wearing clown and werewolf masks there highwayman charm filters into the tourism trade in Scotland, as floods of American tourists are flocking to coach trips in the hope of being robbed by these friendly folk heroes. However, one American tourist, Bender (Ned Beatty), who decides it is his duty to solve the crimes to the chagrin of the local police.
This film is absolutely wonderful. The leads are excellent, the script is sharp and funny. It has it all. It shows in some of the actors involved in this little British film. Not only the aforementioned Ned Beatty, but also cameos from Nannette Newman and Mel Smith. The naivety of the leads makes the film so much more charming, as they blunder their way through the newly found (secret) fame, as they gain international interest - including some brilliantly stereotypical Japanese television producers, who follow them round the highland roads filming ever movement. I would absolutely recommend this film to everyone, and their nans! Charming, beautiful and funny.
www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com
The film focuses on Will (Vincent Friell) and Ronnie (Joe Mullaney), friends from Edinburgh who work together in a novelty shop. They both dream of bigger things. They start to hold up tourist buses in the highlands. Whilst they manage to get money from the American tourist, they also act them out in incredibly polite manner. Wearing clown and werewolf masks there highwayman charm filters into the tourism trade in Scotland, as floods of American tourists are flocking to coach trips in the hope of being robbed by these friendly folk heroes. However, one American tourist, Bender (Ned Beatty), who decides it is his duty to solve the crimes to the chagrin of the local police.
This film is absolutely wonderful. The leads are excellent, the script is sharp and funny. It has it all. It shows in some of the actors involved in this little British film. Not only the aforementioned Ned Beatty, but also cameos from Nannette Newman and Mel Smith. The naivety of the leads makes the film so much more charming, as they blunder their way through the newly found (secret) fame, as they gain international interest - including some brilliantly stereotypical Japanese television producers, who follow them round the highland roads filming ever movement. I would absolutely recommend this film to everyone, and their nans! Charming, beautiful and funny.
www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com
Attempts to ape the gentle, poignant comedy of Bill Forsythe but gets it very much wrong
The-Last-Prydonian17 December 2023
Will and Ronnie are two Scottish twenty-somethings from the Wester Hailes district of Edinburgh who have grown weary of their lot in life. Rebelling against the monotony of their existence they become the equivalent of contemporary highwaymen. Each of them donning Clown and Wolfman masks, they rob tourist coaches in the highlands carrying vacationing Americans. As they continue their crime spree, and their notoriety grows they attract the attention of the media becoming modern-day folk heroes into the bargain. Due to the ineptitude of the local police force they manage to continuously evade capture and arrest. However, when an American Cop who just happens to be among the passengers during one of their robberies decides to pursue them himself, he proves to be more than a match for them.
Following off the heels of a series of light-hearted comedies that hit cinema screens in the early eighties, Restless Natives arguably owes some influential debt to the movies of Scottish writer and director Bill Forsythe whose works have included the critically acclaimed Gregory's Girl and Local Hero. It certainly attempts to be gentle and poignant in very much the same tone with its tale of two Edinburgh lads who are fed up with getting the short stick in their individual lives and proceed to, rob coaches carrying American tourists in the Scottish highlands. Indeed, the movie manages to squeeze an ample supply of sympathy for its youthful duo, one of whom Will is at the bottom of the pile career-wise as a city street sweeper. His best friend Ronnie who fares slightly better is employed in a joke shop, but unlike his bosom buddy who is his only companion leads an otherwise lonely existence.
It feels almost kind of like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, although both of the movie's lead characters turn to crime, both make for pretty likable and affable protagonists. Will is quietly spoken and despite being a strapping six-footer is a gentle kind-hearted soul while Ronnie is contrastingly more loquacious and a bit more of a character. He is also undoubtedly the brains of the operation. The thing with Restless Natives is that the low social standing of its somewhat tragic anti-heroes is that it acts as a reflection of the social economic State of Scotland in the mid-eighties. Although not necessarily a "political" movie so to speak, there is an undercurrent of anti-Thatcherite social commentary regarding the post-industrial economic blight in American director Michael Hoffman's comedy caper.
However, for some of the potential that Restless Natives has, and despite the subtle political aspects writer Ninian Dunnett fails to deliver on the promise that it might have had. Chiefly, what bogs it down is the ridiculous and somewhat incredulous direction Nunnett takes the plot. The romantic sub-plot that revolves around Will and the pretty young coach tour guide Margot from the off stretches credulity. Seemingly amused and less than perturbed by the fact that she and her fellow passengers are being held up at gunpoint by two glorified criminals. The predictable romance that blossoms never really rings true between them both, when Will proceeds to track her down, and in one misjudged scene he actually convinces Ronnie to assist him in their respective guises to deliver a bouquet of flowers to her mid-bus tour. Presumably, this is meant to inject some further charm and an endearing quality to proceedings very much in the mold of Bill Forsyth. However, Nunnett unlike Forsyth lacks his aptitude for pulling the heartstrings of his audience.
If that's not silly enough it's when both young men go on to become regarded as modern-day Rob Roys, who for anyone not familiar with Scottish History was a Scottish outlaw who came to be perceived as being a folk hero in a similar vein to Robin Hood. To give director Hoffman kudos he does manage to keep the pace rearing along at an even pace. The scenes involving Will and Ronnie's Clown and Wolfman being pursued through the streets of Edinburgh to the strains of Scottish folk band Big Country's electrifying title theme tune are likely to give you goosebumps. That being it's relatively short-lived, and both lead actors, Vincent Friel and Joe Mullaney don't entirely cut the mustard as convincing leads. Friel is stilted throughout, although Joe Mullaney although far from commendable fares better and can breathe more life into Ronnie. He also manages to bring some measure of understated vulnerability and poignancy to his cheeky chancer, especially in the graveyard scenes. It comes as likely no surprise that both actors, although Friel has continuously managed to maintain something of a career have faded very much into obscurity. However, what hurts the movie besides the at best mediocre performance of both actors is their out-of-place Glasgeigian accents. Especially Bernard who despite giving a reliably charismatic turn as Will's slightly eccentric father, as an English actor plays him with a Glasgow accent that is contrary to the movie setting. Albeit a thoroughly convincing one. I suspect that the fact that Hoffman was and is American and therefore unfamiliar with Scottish colloquial accents would have accounted for this.
Out of the youthful cast on hand, it's Teri Lally who by far is the most worthy of notability, delivering a charming and winning performance as Margot. Who, despite having gone on to a long-running Scottish Soap Opera, Take the High Road has herself found herself dwindling into the same obscurity as her two male co-stars. It's only Ned Beaty as the chief antagonist as it were, who is notable among the cast as a veteran Hollywood supporting actor who is of a noteworthy presence.
Lumbered with a scarcely credible conclusion that puts the con in contrived, Restless Natives have nevertheless bemusingly gained some minor cult status and some positive recognition from some movie critics. It didn't prevent it from being a commercial failure which I think fairly earned despite it not exactly being awful. It fails to strike the right chord while lacking the social realism and adroitly judged gentle poignancy of Bill Forthye's Gregory's Girl and Local Hero.
Following off the heels of a series of light-hearted comedies that hit cinema screens in the early eighties, Restless Natives arguably owes some influential debt to the movies of Scottish writer and director Bill Forsythe whose works have included the critically acclaimed Gregory's Girl and Local Hero. It certainly attempts to be gentle and poignant in very much the same tone with its tale of two Edinburgh lads who are fed up with getting the short stick in their individual lives and proceed to, rob coaches carrying American tourists in the Scottish highlands. Indeed, the movie manages to squeeze an ample supply of sympathy for its youthful duo, one of whom Will is at the bottom of the pile career-wise as a city street sweeper. His best friend Ronnie who fares slightly better is employed in a joke shop, but unlike his bosom buddy who is his only companion leads an otherwise lonely existence.
It feels almost kind of like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, although both of the movie's lead characters turn to crime, both make for pretty likable and affable protagonists. Will is quietly spoken and despite being a strapping six-footer is a gentle kind-hearted soul while Ronnie is contrastingly more loquacious and a bit more of a character. He is also undoubtedly the brains of the operation. The thing with Restless Natives is that the low social standing of its somewhat tragic anti-heroes is that it acts as a reflection of the social economic State of Scotland in the mid-eighties. Although not necessarily a "political" movie so to speak, there is an undercurrent of anti-Thatcherite social commentary regarding the post-industrial economic blight in American director Michael Hoffman's comedy caper.
However, for some of the potential that Restless Natives has, and despite the subtle political aspects writer Ninian Dunnett fails to deliver on the promise that it might have had. Chiefly, what bogs it down is the ridiculous and somewhat incredulous direction Nunnett takes the plot. The romantic sub-plot that revolves around Will and the pretty young coach tour guide Margot from the off stretches credulity. Seemingly amused and less than perturbed by the fact that she and her fellow passengers are being held up at gunpoint by two glorified criminals. The predictable romance that blossoms never really rings true between them both, when Will proceeds to track her down, and in one misjudged scene he actually convinces Ronnie to assist him in their respective guises to deliver a bouquet of flowers to her mid-bus tour. Presumably, this is meant to inject some further charm and an endearing quality to proceedings very much in the mold of Bill Forsyth. However, Nunnett unlike Forsyth lacks his aptitude for pulling the heartstrings of his audience.
If that's not silly enough it's when both young men go on to become regarded as modern-day Rob Roys, who for anyone not familiar with Scottish History was a Scottish outlaw who came to be perceived as being a folk hero in a similar vein to Robin Hood. To give director Hoffman kudos he does manage to keep the pace rearing along at an even pace. The scenes involving Will and Ronnie's Clown and Wolfman being pursued through the streets of Edinburgh to the strains of Scottish folk band Big Country's electrifying title theme tune are likely to give you goosebumps. That being it's relatively short-lived, and both lead actors, Vincent Friel and Joe Mullaney don't entirely cut the mustard as convincing leads. Friel is stilted throughout, although Joe Mullaney although far from commendable fares better and can breathe more life into Ronnie. He also manages to bring some measure of understated vulnerability and poignancy to his cheeky chancer, especially in the graveyard scenes. It comes as likely no surprise that both actors, although Friel has continuously managed to maintain something of a career have faded very much into obscurity. However, what hurts the movie besides the at best mediocre performance of both actors is their out-of-place Glasgeigian accents. Especially Bernard who despite giving a reliably charismatic turn as Will's slightly eccentric father, as an English actor plays him with a Glasgow accent that is contrary to the movie setting. Albeit a thoroughly convincing one. I suspect that the fact that Hoffman was and is American and therefore unfamiliar with Scottish colloquial accents would have accounted for this.
Out of the youthful cast on hand, it's Teri Lally who by far is the most worthy of notability, delivering a charming and winning performance as Margot. Who, despite having gone on to a long-running Scottish Soap Opera, Take the High Road has herself found herself dwindling into the same obscurity as her two male co-stars. It's only Ned Beaty as the chief antagonist as it were, who is notable among the cast as a veteran Hollywood supporting actor who is of a noteworthy presence.
Lumbered with a scarcely credible conclusion that puts the con in contrived, Restless Natives have nevertheless bemusingly gained some minor cult status and some positive recognition from some movie critics. It didn't prevent it from being a commercial failure which I think fairly earned despite it not exactly being awful. It fails to strike the right chord while lacking the social realism and adroitly judged gentle poignancy of Bill Forthye's Gregory's Girl and Local Hero.
Edinburgh comments
StuartMH5 March 2004
The two heroes are shown living in Wester Hailes housing estate (just down the road from where I live) and riding their motor bike around Edinburghs countryside. This film shows two likeable Scot lads having a great time escaping the boredom of living in one of Edinburgh's less desirable housing estates by commiting a few crimes politely.
I think you might just need to be Scottish or live locally to get some of the jokes made in this film on the Scottish Tourist Industry.
A good feel-good film, with a great sound track. If it was on DVD, I'd buy it in an instant!
Trivia - My mate Liam Rudden was an extra on this film and now is Editor of the Arts and Media section of the Edinburgh Evening News Newspaper. Good on ye son!
I think you might just need to be Scottish or live locally to get some of the jokes made in this film on the Scottish Tourist Industry.
A good feel-good film, with a great sound track. If it was on DVD, I'd buy it in an instant!
Trivia - My mate Liam Rudden was an extra on this film and now is Editor of the Arts and Media section of the Edinburgh Evening News Newspaper. Good on ye son!
A real Scottish gem ******
keithlivingstone15 November 2005
If you look at my rating which is 10 out of 10 you would think that i have said it all,,,,this is a film that was basically lost and extremely hard to find until its recent DVD release.. If you are looking for a great film with amazing scenery (a lot of which was filmed in glen Nevis in fort William),plenty of funny moments and a real feel good factor then this is it.. The story begins with two Scottish lads who are fed up with having no money so decide on robbing Scotland's thriving industry which is tourist coaches and threaten to jeopardise the industry by very nervous tourists who wonder is it safe to travel by bus anymore...However the boys become local hero's with the tourists..there's plenty more story than that but that's just a taster for you if you are thinking about watching this movie..it's a one off as there is no movie like it, i love this film its a love story, a comedy and a touching film that will make you laugh again and again,,,,OK it's old and it's out of date compared to the recent blockbusters but very few films nowadays have a good storyline and hope that the special effects will see them through,,,,No special effects in this film but plenty of special moments.......(look out for a young Vincent Friell in the role of Will who has more recently been in still game and trainspotting and has seen success in theatres) Hope this helps and Enjoy the film which is now out on DVD ......
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