A Chorus of Disapproval

I was keen to see this film because I am playing the part of Guy in a stage version. When I saw that Jeremy Irons was in it I was expecting a gem, but when I realised Michael Winner had directed it I lowered my expectations. Winner has coaxed bad performances out of good actors. Jeremy Irons' accent is dreadful. I know that the play is enjoyable, but this film version is paisley pants.

I'd not heard of this film before it popped up on my dvd mail-order rental catalogue, and eventually landed in my letterbox. By then of course, I had forgotten all about it, and it was a delightful surprise. An exceptionally young Jeremy Irons, with a brilliant Anthony Hopkins, pulling all the Welsh stops out, with a poignant and touching Prunella Scales head the cast, but there are smaller parts - not quite cameos - played by Sylvia Sims, Lionel Jeffries and Richard Briers, all quite satisfying. The story has come from a stage production obviously, and it transitions to screen quite ably with bits of North Yorkshire added for flavour. Many good giggles throughout, although my particular favourite was the tea shop battle. Thoroughly enjoyed it, glad I found it.

To enjoy this film you need to be a fan of either Michael Winner or Alan Ayckborn and I am not.Winner thought he could direct comedies,which clearly on the evidence of this film he is not.I am of course assuming that this is supposed to be a comedy since I did not laugh on even a solitary occasion.Mind you given that Anthony Hopkins played rthe director as if he was Harry Secombe on speed.Was that part originally written that way.Jeremy Irons seems to simpler about looking a bit forlorn.The rest of the cast whilst full of household names are not really able to do much with their often brief time on screen.The best of the bunch is Prunella Scales as the put upon and downtrodden wife.Lionel Jefferies triumphs a lot.Sylvia Simms exudes a sort of glacial charm.Even Richard Briefs seems one to forget.A truly forgettable film.

Although this movie has a screenplay by Alan Ayckbourn(AND Michael Winner) it is a sad(and pale) reflection of the stage play. The (hamfisted) direction by Michael Winner has turned what should be witty light comedy,into a slow dreary and turgid drama. It may have the same plot,and basically the same script as the original stage version,but allow Michael Winner to touch it and it becomes boring. What is worse is the misuse and waste of a great cast. I have never (conciously) seen a Michael Winner film before,and going by this never will again. My (newly acquired) DVD is going straight to the charity shop! PS:~ I saw the stage play when it was premiered in 1984.

Alan Ayckbourn's only major stage to screenplay (to date) is mucked-up with a lot of tricky camera work and opened up like a cancer patient, straying far off the path set by an excellent stager re: newcomer disrupting a provincial troupe staging John Gay opera on proverbial shoestring. Fine effort by Tony Hopkins as transplanted Welshman director but to no avail. Films centering on staging plays (NOISES OFF, of note) rarely hit the mark and this is no exception. I'll keep my memories of the Royal National Theatre production and try to forget this plodding mess. Bury it with flick BEYOND THERAPY, another stager gone wrong for a wonderful stage scribe.

This is truly a cute little little known that I feel deserves more recognition. It appears this movie was made on a low budge but something about that adds a certain warm quality to it. I had a very hard time finding this movie and had to order it from one of the local music stores here. A truly charming look at small theatre. Jeremy Irons has certainly shown that he is more than capable of comedy; something I'd like to see him in more often! The only drawbacks to this movie is the poor sound (and sometimes lighting) quality; I would love to see a DVD release. I would recommend this movie to any fan of Hopkins, Irons, theatre or just anyone looking for something different and light in nature.

Saw this, rather incongruously, with Spanish subtitles in a hotel in deepest, darkest Mexico... and made me feel a little homesick with its warm but too-close-to-the-bone portrayal of provincial English life. Lost dreams and opportunities, and eating chips in your car, staring at the gloomy sea and drizzle. Beautiful.