(Bill Forsyth/1979/UK)
Forsyth’s first
feature length which he also scripted, albeit a lot of it improvised on set I suspect, is
a humorous look at young, unemployed lads in Glasgow trying to make a quick
buck to get by. This involves a mad cap plan involving sinks that leads to all
sorts of high jinks. The cast was recruited from the Glasgow Youth Theatre and
it’s fairly obvious everyone involved is on their first film production, both
the young actors and Forsyth himself. It still retains a naive charm but the
story drags out and a lot of the timing of the humour is staccato. However if
you can live with this it is the earliest example of Forsyth’s particular brand
of gentle, existential comedy and the seeds of what would flourish in Gregory’s
Girl and Local Hero are there. There are some great shots of various parts of
Glasgow, and as drab and dreary as it is there’s a warmth cutting through the
entire film that only someone familiar with and fond of the place could impart. A
handful of the main actors here went on to star in Gregory’s Girl too.
(2.5/5)
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