Clair de Lune (1995) (TV)

Director:

Paul Unwin

Release Date:

12 February 1995 (UK)

Cast

Ian Blower	...	Man on phone
Selina Cadell	...	Mrs. Gaffney
Lee Evans	...	Pete
Mark Frankel	...	Terry Devane
Rik Mayall	...	Toby
Patrick Ryecart	...	Green Knight
Serena Scott Thomas	...	Claire
Leonie Sooke	...	Annie
Bill Thomas	...	Motel Clerk
Gregor Truter	...	Burger Boy

Also Known As:

Rik Mayall Presents Clair de lune (UK) (series title)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Granada Television

It's Rik in a straight role! ... but then it's not really Rik, is it?

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Rik Mayall is completely out of character in this 1995 effort, playing a widowed father who drives a taxi to support himself while finishing a law degree. The film is a short drama, relatively tasteful and not at all the sort of tawdry comedy we're accustomed to seeing Rik in; but nonetheless he maintains his role quite well, proving that he can in fact hold his own as the "straight" man.

Taxi-driving Toby, as fate will have it, crosses paths late one night with a mysterious blonde woman named Clair, who is walking alone beside the road. A chivalric offer of a lift subsequently embroils Toby in Clair's disastrous web of emotional and (we learn) criminal problems. It becomes plain that the terse, chain-smoking and disturbed Clair would have no place in Toby's life at the best of times; but tonight Toby faces an additional problem in that he has promised his daughter Annie that he will take her on a surprise expedition for her birthday in the morning.

Clair's crazed ex-boyfriend, Toby's well-meaning but vapid next-door neighbour, and the blithe daughter Annie (who has some alarming ideas about courtship) all add slightly farcical elements to the ensuing events, but not without a little drama - and even some empathy where it's needed.

While "Clair de Lune" is a pleasant enough film in total, it must be said that unless you are a dedicated fan of Rick (or are particularly interested in seeing one of Britain's greatest comedians playing a rare straight role), this film could be safely missed. A pedestrian storyline, a low budget and a tooth-achingly bad synthesised soundtrack all detract from this film, and considering the atypical character that Rik Mayall plays, it all might prove too much for those who are looking for classic Rik puerility.