BY MIKEY MIGO
Most places categorize this movie as a drama, but in reality it’s a “coming of age” dramady… and a damn good one. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, both known for creating “The Office”, “Extras”, and other iconic television, write and directed this brilliant movie. The movie is set in 1970s England and centers around three slacker friends in their mid to late 20s. They do the normal stuff like getting wasted, laid, fighting, and just screwing around to its fullest. All is well until one of them decides he wants more than their working-class life. This results in him getting a door to door insurance selling job in which he reconnects with his high school sweetheart. All hell breaks loose. The conflict of all this makes them all make some quick decisions and reexamine their placement in the world. There are a lot of movies that are similar to the storyline here. Still, it’s got its own charm, point of view, and style to it. I’ve never seen an English movie like this before. It’s got a perfect balance of silliness and maturity that cannot be described. The movie just works. You enter this world and instantly relate and understand where everyone comes from. You access the silly and laugh at the funny. Gervais and Merchant are known for their stuff on “The Office” the most, but this movie is more so in tone of the last episode of “Extras”. It’s got a lot of heart and tries to get in deep with its message. Outside of Gervais’ small role as Freddie’s dad, Merchant’s cameo, and a few familiar faces this movie was done with a lot of unknown faces. I dug that fact and thought everyone put out a great mainstream debut. I want to watch this movie again as soon as possible. I’d suggest YOU do the same.
|