The Be All and End All

"The Be All and End All" is a nice movie in the sense that the story is quite nice and well told - as well as greatly performed by the actors and actresses on the cast list.

However, on the other hand, for a comedy, then "The Be All and End All" failed to deliver. This isn't really a comedy as per se, so don't expect to be laughing hard from this movie. But if you are looking for a beautiful drama, then "The Be All and End All" should be something for you.

The story is about 15 year old Robbie (played by Josh Bolt) who falls ill with a terminal disease and becomes hospitalized. The teenager haven't lived his life and had any major experiences yet; he haven't been traveling and haven't had sex yet. His best friend Ziggy (played by Eugene Byrne) comes up with a plan to fulfill his friend's wish and find a girl for him.

"The Be All and End All" is a really nicely told story about friendship and being there for one another regardless of what life throws your way. But it is also a story of coming to terms with one's mortality and chasing after your dream - sort of like "The Bucket List".

The characters in the movie were nicely detailed and each having a unique personality, each bringing something individual to the movie; from Robbie's parents to the nurse staff working at the hospital. The actors portraying these various roles really had a good script to work with and had great opportunities to develop their characters and bring them to life on the screen. So a big thumbs up to director Bruce Webb.

For a British comedy, then the humor in "The Be All and End All" is subtle and sort of cynical and dark. As such, the movie might just not be appealing for everyone.

THE BE ALL AND END ALL is a British comedy from Director Bruce Webb, about a couple of 15 year old school lads from Liverpool who go on holiday to a holiday caravan site, and one of the lads Robbie Wallace (played by Josh Bolt) develops a serious heart condition, and he is rushed into hospital to discover that the condition is fatal and he doesn't have long to live.

On hearing about the seriousness of his condition – Robbie is absolutely determined not to die a virgin, and pleads with his best friend Ziggy (played admirably by Eugene Hughes) to ensure that he will help him with his final wish … to get laid … with many disastrous (and funny) consequences along the way ….

This is a film full of "Liverpudlian" humour and can be quite funny (and also a bit crass on occasions) There are some able performances by other cast members also – namely Neve McIntosh who plays Ziggy's Mum Kate, Liza Tarbuck who plays Ward Nurse Tina, Bryony Seth as Sophie and Connor McIntyre who plays Robbie's Dad.

I liked, and recommend THE BE ALL AND END ALL although it should be said that some of this film works … and some doesn't … it's a bit like the emotions of the Robbie and Ziggy … swinging from humour in their escapades to the sadness with regards to the shadow of a terminal illness … which at times threatens to tear their relationship apart

Let me get one thing out of the way early on: I really did like this movie. I know a lot of Americans don't really get British humor (outside of Monty Python) and I really think that's a shame. But I'll admit this movie muddles the waters even further for some with it's relatively seamless transitions from melancholy to humor.

As a basic premise it seems sound; a dying 15 year old boy has one final wish: to get laid once in his life. And who better to help him carry that wish out than his best friend? Seems like a good set up for some wacky hijinks, no? Well...that's kind of the problem. Remember, the kid's dying. There's a lot to explore there that's not at all funny. So while the film does deliver on some of the humorous aspects of a teenager's search for some action (on behalf of a bedridden friend, no less), much of that humor gets overshadowed by the weight of the situation. Plus, the film often attempts to transition between humorous and heartfelt a little too quickly. It's hard to laugh at something immediately after the main characters get soul-crushingly bad news. That said, for those who like a little something different and are tired of the usual teenage sex comedy, this might be just the thing. Sure, it's more than a little dark, but it lends some weight to the story in the end.

This extraordinary film about the bonds of friendship hits you right in the heart. When 15 year old Robbie is hospitalised with a terminal illness, his final wish is to lose his virginity before he dies. Best mate Ziggy is charged with sorting out 'who' and 'how'.

This could easily have deteriorated into crude and insensitive titillation, but director Bruce Webb expertly navigates the fine line between humour and tragedy, taking us on a journey that will move you to tears one minute and laughter the next.

The two young leads deliver powerful and very believable performances in a film that manages to entertain, move and leave you feeling warm inside. Highly recommended.

I saw the film at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and I count it among the best films screened there. The movie portrays a teenager who realizes he suffers from a terminal illness and his last wish is to lose his virginity. Since it deals with a sensitive issue of a teenager's death, the movie might have easily inclined to melodrama. However, "The Be All and End All" is far from any of this. The emotions remain covered under sharp teenage talk which is extremely authentic (which is even enhanced by their Liverpool accent). Both young actors are marvelous. Overall, the movie is extremely funny but still giving a true picture of the teenagers - unlike some of the blockbuster teenage comedies you can see these days. If you liked the movie "Juno" with its real-life characters, you are going to like "The Be All and End All", as well. I definitely recommend that you see this movie.