The_late_Buddy_Ryan
Decked out in a goofy hobbit wig, Michael Sheen plays Colin, a Sheffield candystore owner who sets off for the bright lights of Blackpool in pursuit of his runaway wife. The opening scenes show promise, but the local accent can be hard to parse and Colin's adventures on the road are pretty low impact—he gets a haircut from a friendly biker, chats with a Brownie troop leader, marvels at a windfarm and some gorgeous rolling hills
Funded with lottery money, this film was meant, I guess, to celebrate the joys of the old-fashioned simple life in the North—darts and trad music at the pub, garish seaside resorts and such. I'm usually a pushover for this kind of thing, but despite an expert cast (including the fabulous Ruth Jones of "Gavin and Stacey"!) and a great soundtrack (esp. Kate Rusby, a Maddy Prior–type folksinger), I just wasn't feelin' it most of the time. Full disclosure: I put this on because my wife wanted "something quiet" to help her get to sleep. It worked.
Nglynnen
I borrowed this DVD from a mate who bought it for a pound as an ex rental.Not expecting much (especially as Paul Shane from Hi de Hi is in it) I was surprised at how much I loved this film.It gives you a good feeling inside and there are some genuinely touching moments as well as some funny ones.The swing incident and the toothbrush incident especially.Great performances from Michael Sheen,Mark Addy(great wig) and Mark Strong.I would recommend anyone to see it especially if you are Northern.
derbypride
This is one of the most beautifully shot movies I have seen. Whoever was behind the camera should be very proud of producing such breathtaking shots. I loved every minute. The characters really draw you in. To me it was the perfect mix of northern life in the pubs playing darts, juxtaposed with a moped winding through the northern countryside emblazoned with bright colored leaves. The story was so well paced and believable. The pacing reminded me of "The Station Agent", mixed with the comedy of "Brassed Off" with cinematography similar to "The Motorcycle Diaries" I found it to be so original, and not at all stereotypical of the north. I would have loved some extras on the DVD so I had some information about where the movie was actually shot. I'm thinking Derbyshire?
demdemon
Why has this film only been released on DVD now, I never heard of this movie until I saw the cover sitting on a videostore shelf where are part-time.From the first scene to end of the credits I sat mesmerised by this film, the hapless hero Colin (Michael Sheen) travels to Blackpool on a moped to reclaim his wife Sandra (Jane Robbins) so simply a plot line done many times before but blows all attempts out of the water. The reason why he travels there wasn't why I loved this film, it was the journey, the people he meets along the way, the desire everyone has to just run free but are tied down by a 9-5 life. Colin's naivety is almost childlike that I smiled when he came across the fan turbines (sorry the name escapes me). It was shot beautifully, with superb acting and the soundtrack magnified it sheer brilliance.I put the DVD in expecting...well I didn't expect anything, road movies are usually repetitive and fail to keep you interested as the end closes in, however this film didn't do that it continued to amaze me until the end. This film is 100% fun.
AD
