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Janice Beard More at IMDbPro »Janice Beard 45 WPM (original title)
| Index | 10 reviews in total |
9 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Light and enjoyable if not fantastic, 14 September 2002
Author:
bob the moo
Janice lives with her housebound, agoraphobic mother and has done all her
life since her father died in childbirth. However in her twenties she
decides to go to London to get money to save for treatment for her Mum.
However the reality of office life is a lot different and her job is petty
and stressful as she helps prepare for a major car launch. However a
romance with postman Sean appears promising.
One of many British films that simply go right under the cinema radar. This
may have failed because it is similar in basic style to Bridget Jones and
other comedies without being as well cast or as well hyped. Also it's not
quite as funny as those that have hit big. The plot is a little wacky for
the first half as it is Ally McBeal-like in it's wit and content. It's
funny in little things like Janice making up stories etc. The actual plot
is industrial espionage and is daft but doesn't really spoil a light funny
film.
It may not all be that good but mostly it's lightly enjoyable – not trying
too hard but just ticking over. Walsh is very good as Beard and Kensit is
very sexy and very good as Julia, at least until her walls come,
unconvincingly, crumbling down. Ifans is on auto-pilot but has fun and the
rest of the office cast are well used and spot on for the most
part.
Overall this isn't superb but it is lightly amusing in it's own way. No-one
should hold out hope for the pot being amazing but it is enjoyable. Worth
watching once.
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Comedy with a heart, which doesn't get in the way of its wacky character and fast pacing., 23 October 2001
Author:
krausejohnson from Ontario, Canada
This movie was recommended so heatedly to me that I was fairly forced to
see
it. Not knowing what to expect, I was charmed and dazzled by the script,
the
acting, and the goofy decor and colours. For any 'girl' who's ever worked
in a brainless office job this will be a delight.
The lead actor is perfectly cast as the unsquashably optimistic Janice,
totally sincere even while she's lying through her teeth, overwhelmed by
the
demands placed on her, outclassed by the other office girls, and at the
same
time unwavering in her mission to save her mum in whatever way she
can.
It also works because of the pacing; the story begins at a steady pace and
gradually accelerates until it is literally speeding along -- our heroine
works for an auto manufacturing firm -- too fast to stop. There are enough
plot twists and complications to qualify "Janice Beard 45 WPM" for a
French
farce except, that it's in Scottish (I think).
It's not Proust and it's not "Brideshead Revisited"; it's just one of the
best comedies I've seen and I've been wanting to see it again since I
first
saw it in 1999.
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Hilarious, quirky, light Brit movie., 29 October 2000
Author:
Tintin a Tokyo from Japan
I saw Janice Beard yesterday at the 2000 Tokyo International Film Festival
and took part in the Q&A section with the director Clare Kilner
afterwards.
Like the other reviewer has said, Janice Beard: 45 Words Per Minute isn't
an
especially profound film, but it is good fun and it is better than the
majority of what passes through the cinemas.
In the film, Janice Beard is a 20 something young woman whose life began
unusually when her father died in childbirth. This causes her mother to be
the world's first sufferer of post-natal-post-mortem syndrome. She has
never
left the house since her daughter's birth, and Janice spends her entire
life
concocting stories to entertain her mother and entice her into the world.
Like the director, I've also known adult compulsive liars and think
they're
not generally sympathetic people. However, the explanation provided to us
of
her mother's illness succeeds in endearing Janice The Underdog to the
audience.
In the hope of being able to find and pay for a cure for her mother,
Janice,
equipped with her minimum level 45 words per minute typing rate, leaves
Scotland for temp work in London. To some degree this reflects the
experience of the director/writer Clare Kilner who has said the idea for
the
movie came to her while doing temp work - being in but not part of the
work
place and being able to observe others closely from that unique
position.
Janice ends up working at a British car manufacturer (this is a work of
fiction after all) through her school friend - the one who was faking a
seizure at the beginning of the film to get Mrs Beard out of bed. The car
company is about to launch its make or break product and tension in the
office is high when Janice joins the typing pool headed by beautiful,
bitchy
Julia (Patsy Kensit).
From there on in it's a story about Janice toning down her outlandish
stories (or living up to them - the salsa dance scene) and fitting in with
the typing pool women, and finding someone along the way in the shape of
Sean (Rhys Evans from Twin Town [http://us.imdb.com/Title?0120394] and
Notting Hill [http://us.imdb.com/Title?0125439]). It's not Janice' fault
there's industrial sabotage afoot and she's caught in the
middle.
This is a really good, light and enjoyable film. If a director's first
film
most embodies the nature of their work to come then I look forward to
seeing
more of Clare Kilner's work. Answering questions on stage after the movie
she was lovely.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
A half decent britflick. Worth a rent., 8 September 2002
Author:
SoulJacker from Manchester
Having just watched this film for the first time on Channel 4, I was
compelled to leave some feedback for others to read...
Rhys Ifans...This guy is quickly becoming the Welsh Tom Hanks. He's been
in
more crumby movies than he should have, but every time he gives a first
rate
performance (excluding his OTT drug dealing character in, '51st State').
His
doesn't let down here. A sterling performance coupled with an excellent
London-ish accent. Good job.
Eileen Walsh (I) doesn't really have the strong presence needed to carry
off
her leading role with vigour. But she does have a certain endearing charm
that one can't help but get attached to whilst she navigates her journey.
Pretty good.
For some reason, this movie goes from well shot cinematic sequences, to
borderline amateurish looking set pieces and locales. Some scenes are lit
poorly (not enough to disgust, but slightly annoy) and the camera seems
static at times. Like I said, this won't be noticeable to all. But to
someone who's studies the art of film; it's a slight let down. From hero
to
zero in a few frames...a bummer but not the end of the
world.
The actual story isn't particular strong, or witty. However, a bucket load
of decent English actors carry the film through to its very quick
conclusion
(only 81 minutes long!?!)...Others performances are solid and keep the
ship
afloat.
Overall, I was just impressed Channel 4 had given a low budget English
movie
some coverage. Films like this usually get made and then disappear with
out
a trace. We Should thank Channel 4 (or Ifans latest role in, 'Once Upon A
Time In The Midlands') for tonight's showing.which on reflection, was well
worth the effort.
Laterz all.
3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Sweet & Unusual, 27 May 2004
Author:
Alix Rant from NY
I really enjoyed this film. Is it a masterpiece? No. But it's
unpredictable, well directed and the acting is excellent.
I rented it because I love Rhys Ifans, and I think Eileen Walsh is
truly one of the best actresses I've seen in a while (she stole
Magdalene Sisters). I didn't regret the rental, and even kept it for my
husband to see too. He felt the same way. Try to see this if you can.
It's a great little sleeper!
It's about a girl who's father dies while she's being born, which
naturally affects her mother in a profound way, causing her to become
agoraphobic. Janice grows up trying to help her mother, and finally
decides to get her a unique therapy. The problem is she must LEAVE her
mother and go to the big city in order to save enough cash for the
therapy. Sounds dark and sad, but it's not. Janice has a wild
imagination and a knack for losing jobs. She's also got a great
attitude. Rhys plays a unique role - is he a good guy or a bad guy? You
have to figure it out!
4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
S U P E R!!!, 22 July 2003
Author:
thedudester from Milan, Italy
The Brits made it again. It is simply a brilliant work, very well acted and well directed. Unfortunately, it does not cast Hugh Grant or some other 20 million a movie star. Brits make movies. Americans make money. Who's right? I don't know, but this is a movie that's surely worth to be seen. For a laugh, for a thought, for a sigh... of relief.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
What a marvelous little film, 16 August 2007
Author:
planktonrules from Bradenton, Florida
I have a hard time understanding why the overall IMDb rating for this
film is so low. Perhaps it's because the film is a small independent
film without the usual Hollywood budget and trappings--I know a lot of
people have a prejudice towards these style films. Regardless, it's
very unfortunate because it was a great film--with amazing writing,
direction and acting. It just goes to prove that you don't need a big
budget in order to make a marvelous film.
The story itself is very quirky. Janice's mother is a depressed
agoraphobic who hasn't left her home since just after Janice was born.
As a result, as a child Janice learned to create a fantasy world and
told her mother amazing but untrue stories about life outside their
home. Unfortunately, now that she is in her 20s, she continues to live
in a fantasy world--almost like Walter Mitty (but her fantasies are not
nearly THAT grand).
When Janice leaves Scotland for a job in England, she is a total
failure and loses job after job. However, she sent her mother glowing
reports of success and even went so far as to fake videos to convince
mom she was doing well! The bottom line is that Janice is indeed a
flake--a very BIG flake. Now she was a nice person, mind you and you
wanted her to succeed but her strangeness just prevented her from
fitting in anywhere...that is, until she came to work for a small auto
manufacturer. Here, despite her past, Janice somehow manages to slowly
create a niche for herself. Unfortunately, at the same time she has no
idea that an evil corporate spy is stealing from the company and has
set her up to take the fall!
Now along with this unusual plot, there are lots of funny moments and
the character of Janice is so cute you are really pulling for her to,
despite it all, succeed. Amazingly, the writers are able to interweave
some wonderful comedic moments into the plot AND make it all seem so
plausible when things turn out brilliantly for Janice as the film
progresses. In many ways, this film is reminiscent of the great little
film American DREAMER--when an ordinary person suddenly is caught up in
adventure and it all works out much like a fairy tale in the end. An
exceptional and highly engaging film for someone looking for something
both usual and well-written.
Good, clean fun., 28 October 1999
Author:
Megan McLeod from Ottawa, ON, Canada
I was lucky enough to see the première at the Edinburgh International Film
Festival. Slightly reminiscent of Bridget Jones Diary in its wackiness, it
was nothing profound or especially clever, but I couldn't help but have a
good laugh.
Patsy Kensit's character should have stayed bitchy. Having her come around
was just plain annoying.
0 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Trying without succeeding, 31 August 2004
Author:
talime25 from ISRAEL
This is a film about a girl being involved in office-intrigues and
falling in love with the wrong man, becoming a woman... bla bla bla Not
very funny, trying too much to be this crazy American-like comedy,
while the heart of the story is broken very early in the movie.
I was very board with it and fast-forward the DVD just to see if it
would get any better.It didn't, in fact, it got worst. And I love goofy
comedies, but this was not good at all. Only if you can't find anything
better in the DVD shop - rent this one, and don't expect anything, the
plot is silly, the acting - poor, the motivation - low, the music - too
much. Have fun!
4 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Short, but not short enough, 6 February 2002
Author:
Robert Clarke from Wrexham, North Wales
At 78 mins "Janice beard" was a short film. Sadly not short enough. Its not that this film is bad, just that its not in any way good. The characters are weird (indeed all characters are totally nuts!) and the story is odd. I thought it was supposed to be a comedy but I must admit I didn't laugh once, strangely enough though I was compelled by it enough to watch it to the end but can't help feel that by next week I would have forgotten I'd ever seen it.
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