Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This (2014 TV Movie) User Reviews

Brilliant and doesn't forget the joy

[loveagoodstory · 8/10 · 3 May 2014]

There have been a raft of biopics of bygone British comedians over the last ten years, some excellent. Many forget to, or fail to, impart the humour and joy that the subjects brought in the first place. Sometimes there seems to a keenness to deliver the 'dark side' of the jester too bluntly.

'Not Like That, Like This' tells a strong story that isn't at all diluted by the prominence of the daft and delightful comedy of the man in the centre of it, Tommy Cooper. It's clear all the way along why audiences loved the man who could come on, say nothing and have them collapsing with laughter. He had a complicated life and it's well told through a brilliant performance by David Threlfall, who grasps the physicality of the six-foot-four comic as well as his mannerisms and captivating delivery. The rest of the cast, fronted by Amanda Redman as his strong-headed and driven wife Dove and Helen McCrory as his mild-but-adoring mistress Mary, fill it out to a very solid programme.

Obviously it'll be a little less relevant to those who didn't know of Tommy Cooper but the story doesn't rely on prior knowledge so you'll lose nothing from it if you're coming into it cold.

Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This

[jboothmillard · 8/10 · 1 May 2014]

I have seen most of the clips of the famous British funny man with the fez, I can certainly see why during his time he was considered a national treasure, so I was really excited to see that a feature length television made film was coming on about him. Basically Tommy Cooper (Shameless's David Threlfall) is the nation's favourite comedian- magician both on television and on stage, with his trademark fez and bumbling persona, he performs magic tricks that appear to go wrong to large laughter and applause, and he is loved by other great entertainers in the industry too. But behind the eccentric comedy genius is a cantankerous man who has a drinking problem, his wife Gwen aka 'Dove' (New Tricks' Amanda Redman) travels with him frequently for all his performances, but she feels her place is looking after their children at home, and feeling he will be lonely he asks married stage manager and assistant Mary Kay (Skyfall's Helen McCrory) to join him on tour. While Tommy's drinking and late nights damaging his health is a concern to Dove, also a sign for him to retire, Mary is encouraging to him, she loves him to tell his jokes on a regular basis, and also she sees her husband's writing being helped by him, but soon enough Tommy and she cannot help their feelings. Tommy declares his love for Mary, despite being married to Dove, and they begin a close affair, and for a long time his wife is unaware that this going on behind the scenes of his occasional television and frequent stage performances, but when she does find out she turns domestically violent. Tommy does have a health scare, when a suffers a severe heart attack, this makes him question whether he can continue working in entertainment, but he knows he still has a family support, and he cannot choose between the two women over the seventeen years of the affair. Tommy knows his health is deteriorating, but he agrees for a good amount of money, on 15th April 1984, to appear on Live from Her Majesty's, a stage performance televised live in front of millions, he does his usual great work making the audience laugh and clap, with Mary watching from the wings and Dove at home on television. But midway through the performance, while an assistant helps him put on a cloak for his sketch, Tommy falls to the ground in front of the curtain, he stays still for a few seconds before falling backwards, he suffered a fatal attack and died live on television, both Mary and Dove are devastated, never meeting they only pass and glance each other at the mortician's. Also starring Love Actually's Gregor Fisher as Miff Ferrie - Tommy's agent, Andy Rush as Tom Jr., Paul Ritter as Eric Sykes, Bob Golding as Eric Morecambe, Jordan Metcalfe as Les Dennis, Jason Manford as Ken Brooke, Albie Marber as Young Tom Jr., Charlotte Beaumont as Vicky Cooper, Lucy Conley as Young Vicky Cooper and Jacinta Mulcahy as The Queen. Threlfall is almost the perfect spitting image of Tommy, and he absolutely nails the voice and characteristics, he really focuses on the role for both the good and bad times of the real man's life, McCrory does well as the affectionate mistress, and Redman is good also as the long suffering wife. The story works really well as a great tribute to the real man, you can recognise some of his most famous tricks thrown into the scenes, but it is also a realistic story of a man struggling to choose who he truly loves while struggling to continue his success and make ends meet, it will make you laugh, think and emotional in equal measure, a fantastic comedy drama. Very good!

Just like this

[Lejink · 6/10 · 10 February 2015]

This is the latest example of British television dramatising the life (or, as on this occasion, part of it) of a familiar TV or film star from the golden age 50's and 60's, in fact just of the top of my head I can recall seeing programmes on Tony Hancock, Sid James, William "Dr Who" Hartnell, Hughie Green, Hattie Jacques, Shirley Bassey, Morecambe and Wise and most recently Cilla Black. In fact, I'm willing to bet someone's already waiting in the wings to give us the Bruce Forsyth story! It's probably fair to say that there was no more identifiable TV personality of the time than the gentle giant Tommy Cooper, certainly he was the most impersonated man on TV at the time and everybody knew his "Just like that" catchphrase.

Of course the key to making a drama out of such a familiar figure's life, as opposed to another typically fawning documentary with loads of clips and all-star tributes is to highlight some human interest aspect of their life to give it that "soap-opera" element and they didn't have far to look with Cooper. On the surface, a happy husband and devoted family man, in 1967 he hooked up with a younger, also married, female assistant, Mary Fairfield and for the last 17 years of his life, conducted an affair with her, never letting in to his devoted but combative wife, Dove.

Simon Nye doesn't pull his punches in this portrayal of the popular Cooper, showing his miserliness, alcoholism, ill-health and ultimately of course his infidelity but this latter trait isn't portrayed as arising from selfishness or nastiness but more from need. At no point did Cooper apparently ever consider abandoning his family but in order to continue his tireless life on the road and on TV shoots to have required the female companionship his stay at- home was denying him. I'm not sure though that I sympathise too much with the comic's actions, indeed I would say that he was acting selfishly in deceiving so many people so that again we're asked to excuse him purely because he was a comic genius which gives him licence to live differently from the rest of us.

I felt some of the scenes looked apocryphal, none more than the big final scene where the two women in his life pass by each other at the hospital where he's just famously expired on live TV, plus I'm not sure from what I've read that Cooper's son, shown as replacing Mary on the road as his assistant after the affair became known, was so accepting of his father's lover when she came back to assist his shambling efforts.

David Threlfall tries hard to inhabit Cooper's massive boots but it was always going to be difficult to cast a physical lookalike with the talent for imitation and interpretation. The supporting cast, especially Helen McCrory and Amanda Redman as the women in his life, come over better, partly because their unfamiliarity with the viewer makes their characters seem more real. The depiction of the northern club circuit, cheap bed and breakfasts and backstage of television shows were all well drawn, particularly the extended sequence leading up to his death "on-air".

Of course there's always an abiding interest in the tears of a clown as we see behind the facade of another giant TV funny-man and this well-written and well-acted show catered to that even if ultimately it didn't quite answer all the questions about Tommy Cooper's complicated life.

Fantastic performance, best biopic in a long while

[rhyan-carter · 10/10 · 23 April 2014]

It was like watching Tommy himself. Scenes onstage were bit for bit the exact same as those by the original - which is no small feat to mimic a man's comic timing, posture, facial expressions, voice, and all round charisma.

I personally think it's one of the best biopics made in a long long time, I thoroughly enjoyed it. If there isn't a BAFTA somewhere for this I'll be thoroughly disappointed.

The core 3 cast members were spectacular as a performance, and obviously Cooper's wife and mistress weren't in the public eye as much so we can't really say how accurate their portrayal is, but the dramatic impact they had in relation to Cooper in this is perfect.

Seriously, just so impressed by this performance.

Tommy Cooper lives.

[bignastybastard · 10/10 · 25 April 2014]

As someone who was born after Tommy Cooper passed away I never had the opportunity to appreciate him while he was alive. I have always heard my parents and others rave about how funny he was so I thought this was definitely worth a watch.

I was not disappointed. David Threlfalls portrayal of Tommy Cooper is absolutely amazing. Due to the effort the production crew put in to making him actually look like Tommy Cooper and plus the fact that Threlfall is an outstanding actor I didn't even realize it was him playing the part, in fact I even had to IMDb it part way through to realize it was him. He genuinely brought the part to life.

I loved all the one liners throughout this film and immediately got to appreciate Tommy Cooper as a comedian and as a man. One criticism I've heard is how Tommy Cooper comes across as a chain smoking drunk. At the end of the day yes he may have had a drink problem but these things often come with the entertainment industry, but its not like he was ever violent to anybody and at the end of the day Tommy Cooper was a human with faults just like everybody else.

Overall I believe this film educated people like me and the next generation just who Tommy Cooper was and through this film and an amazing performance from David Threlfall, Tommy Cooper can live on and continue to be apriciated.

Just That

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 24 May 2014]

The 1980s were unkind to some of our beloved post World War 2 comedians. Morecambe & Wise ceased to be funny when they moved away from the BBC.

Frankie Howard and Tommy Cooper had shows on ITV in the early 1980s but they were a laughter free zone. In fact Cooper only got a positive buzz when he made a rare BBC appearance on Seaside Special where he did his hat routine.

Tommy Cooper who unfortunately collapsed live on TV was a unique comedian and a very talented conjurer.

A few years after his death his mistress went public with their long term affair. Some years later other comedians such as Bob Monkhouse told stories of his drinking and violent temper. It was not unknown for Cooper to start his day with pouring vodka over his cornflakes.

This bio-pic starts with a common story (in fact something I myself have done) of a man going to a bazaar in Turkey, putting on a fez and shouting 'just like that.'

David Threlfall with added make up does a good impression of Cooper although he is a bit thin. Cooper was physically imposing.

The film deals with his tightness, his drinking, the tempestuous relationship with his wife and his affair with his mistress. The prolonged recreation of his death on a TV show felt like a mis-step to me.

Good performances but nothing out of the ordinary like the bio-pics of comedians we have had on BBC4 in recent years where they delved into the dark heart of its subjects.

not like that !

[cockadoodlydoo · 3/10 · 22 April 2014]

This depiction wasn't very good,very strained acting from all the cast.The one playing Tommy was stretching a,short not funny comic impression to the point of tedium.The son was terrible,the wife,a short glib repetitively portrayal in every scene of her,the mistress i got nothing from whatsoever ,cold performance ...the agent just boring ,the other comic legends seem tacked on... tommy crying all the time ,rubbish(an ex army man of that generation ha!).The sets also had loads of modern things in the backgrounds that didn't fit,1990 phone box,modern day fire alarms and health and safety signs to name a few .It just didn't have the sense of being set in the 70 s/80 s..

Cooper was made out, just to be a skinflint pi@@head women beater. It really was a dire portrayal made up from tittle tattle and without a well written script...really lazily done by itv. All very one dimensional,i didn't believe the story,characters or the script.

......p s cooper is always portrayed as tight(and he may have not throw his money about) but he did give my dad(a porter at euston railway station)a 8 shilling tip in 1968........