Festival

If you've seen Altman's 'Nashville', you've kind of seen this. It's just the era and backdrop that are different. Substitute Daniella Nardini for Geraldine Chaplin, Mangan or O'Dowd for Keith Carradine and you have the general idea. Griffin's best-known piece, 'The Book Group', also had multiple plot lines, but had time to develop over two three-hour series. In 'Festival', for instance, the plot line with the crazy Canadians had a fantasy quality to it, but didn't seem to be going anywhere. On the other hand, watching Petra staring at a drink, trying not to fall off the wagon, was heart-wrenching, as was the chat-up scene where she realizes as she talks about her job, that she has no real life apart from Sean, and hateful as he is he is all that stands between her and a return to drinking. That was brilliantly done, as was the young actress falling for Sean because she sees him as nobody else does, because she doesn't know his work or how famous he is. I wanted to like this film a lot more than I eventually did. It is worth seeing, but like so many British movies, it doesn't warrant the big screen treatment when a TV series would have been better.

I made a mistake and don't want my comment submitted

don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit, don't submit

There's some nice sly comedy in Annie Griffin's film 'Festival', about the Edinburgh Fringe, and an ambitious storyline following numerous different characters, but also a lot of clichés. Now the Edinburgh festival may be one place where all the old clichés are actually true, but they're not leavened here by any true sympathy for the creative process. Watching stuff at the fringe can be excruciating, but it can also leave one gasping in amazement at what can be achieved, and some of the material is pretty professional: by not acknowledging that, this film fails to really earn its right to the cheaper shots. An unremarkable movie.

Ok. More fun location spotting than watching the film. Not even that redolent of a late summer in Edinburgh. A lot of actors under used. Nothing fleshed out, no one particularly interesting. Very superficial. Doesn't add up to much. Ultimately a bit pointless. If art is this depressing why bother?

An accurate portrayal of the vibe on the streets, boozing in the courtyards and ragbag mix of shoestring productions in dingy halls ranging from high artistic pretension to low comedy. More to the point it's a bloody good film, presenting us with some memorable portraits of aspiring artistes, jaded stand-ups, local journalists and citizens rubbing up against each other in pubs, hotel rooms and rented flats, and of course venues, with some pithy exchanges hurled between floor and stage. The actors are well served by a realistic, witty script that highlights the distinctive backgrounds and foibles of their various characters. They excite your sympathy, affection, pity or distaste even as you laugh. Every scene is either funny or sad, usually both. And the musical soundtrack is exquisite. It's not perfect - there are one or two moments of over-dramatised conflict towards the end that don't ring true, probably driven by some perceived need to pander to commercial expectations. The film should have retained its faith in the bubbling undercurrents which have swept it along so nicely until then, but thankfully it ends on an appropriate note of bittersweet irresolution.