Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Eddie Marsan | ... | Richard | |
Ewen Bremner | ... | Julian | |
Jessica Hynes | ... | Cath | |
Bronagh Gallagher | ... | Maggie | |
Tim Healy | ... | Geoff | |
Paul Nicholls | ... | Gary | |
Anne Reid | ... | Barbara | |
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Joseph Hamilton | ... | Martin |
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Chloe Hesar | ... | Emily |
Richard Ridings | ... | Collin | |
Gary Sefton | ... | Vince | |
Kevin Eldon | ... | Alan | |
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Sandra Voe | ... | Julian's Mum |
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Matthew Leighton | ... | Kim |
Tom Smith | ... | Danny |
In the Midlands, two men and a boy are on losing streaks: Richard has a dead-end job, and his wife leaves him because he's inattentive and has a juvenile obsession for 11th-century battle reenactments. His best friend Julian still lives with mum and divides his obsessions between Vikings and Star Trek. Then there's Richard's son Martin, picked on at school in part because of his father's hobby. Richard vows to win back the heart of his ex, Julian may have met someone online who shares his interests, and Martin wants to stand up to bullies. All get bad advice, which they act on. Is there any hope for any of them? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
This is the second British comedy I've seen recently that I'd never heard of until a friend recommended it to me (the other one is "Blow Dry"). I'm completely perplexed. The filmmakers went to all this trouble to get a brilliant script and cast with matching performances and then what? - they forgot to tell the UK audience that it exist?! Also, it was never marketed outside the UK (although it seems to have had a Swedish premiere according to IMDb Pro), no doubt losing millions in the process!
It's really, really disheartening to all filmmakers everywhere to think that you can get everything right and still get it so wrong. If anyone knows the inside story on what happened (and to "Blow Dry" for that matter) then please let me know.
In the meantime, this goes straight into my private hoard of great comedies that I keep locked in my study, away from prying eyes, for those rainy days! :-)