Bank of Dave

What a surprise feel good movie. Saw this tonight at a preview screening but it doesn't change my view of the movie. Had no idea about Dave and his bank, but what a great concept and should be more of it.

One thing about the Brits, they sure can tell a good yarn. The movie moves along at a good pace and nothing feels like it's to long a movie.

Even the love interest of the movie isn't over done and is sweet. Yes it does have its protagonist aka the "big banks" and they live up to what they do best.

If you want to go see a good feel movie and just get away for the world for a while and come out feeling a bit better, then go see Dave.

Bank Of Dave is a feel good film which tick lots of nice boxes as long as you don't look at it with a critical eye. Which I do. A bit. Right then. The cons first. Whilst the main actors play their parts well, some of the support acting is a bit flaky. Fair enough - this is a relatively low budget film so understandable. Secondly, the script is a bit clunky in places, which doesn't help the actors and does make the film feel somewhat contrived at times - you know exactly how this is going to play out. This is okay though - not everyone wants a challenging stressy film, or a film full of unpleasant, gritty, dark characters. I know I don't. Thirdly, Burnley is portrayed as a lovely town of working class, heart of gold, decent, fair, hard working, honest, caring, sharing, people. It isn't. Lots are. But lots are not. Fourthly, a LOT of the content isn't remotely true or accurate, but you need to make the film interesting so fair enough with the carefree approach to facts. The pros. It's a feel good film for all the family and Dave seems like a very decent chap and that's enough justification to make a nice movie. Secondly, I forgot Def Leppard actually did some really good songs! Needed to hear more of them. Er... That's it.

Bank of Dave is a heavily fictionalised feelgood comedy drama about Dave Fishwick (Rory Kinnear.) A truck and minibus dealer in Burnley. After the financial crash of 2008 when banks got bailed out but stopped lending to those in need.

Fishwick wanted to start a not for profit bank that would give loans to the local community.

In his way is the elitist banking establishment determined that northerner like Fishwick will not get his bank off the ground. So he gets the help of a corporate lawyer Hugh (Joel Fry) from London to make the application for a banking licence.

Bank of Dave rightly takes a stick to the banking fat cats who took fraudulent risks, went bust, saved by a Labour government and the taxpayer. All so they could carry on regardless.

The movie is too formulaic. Northerners are the salt of the earth, Londoners are hissable villains. There is a romantic subplot involving Hugh and a NHS doctor.

There is a good performance from Rory Kinnear. Despite his father hailing from Wigan, his accent seemed to be more generic northern than Lancashire.

Director Chris Foggin knows which buttons to push to give it a warm glow. The songs help as well as an appearance from Def Leppard.

I came across this one on Netflix, not having heard anything about it and was pleasantly surprised. It's the glorious, true story of the little man taking on the establishment. Self made Millionaire Dave Fishwick decides to start a bank in his home town of Burnley to help support local businesses,creating jobs and services for the community. In doing so he comes face to face with the banking establishment, who use all their dirty tricks to prevent him. In a way mirroring the sentiments of classics like It's a Wonderful Life, this film shows what can be achieved when people come together to take on the powers that be. An uplifting gem.

After watching a string of overlong offerings from Netflix this was a refreshingly well made film.

A true story, despite obvious fictional embellishment, it was well acted and the screenplay and direction was efficient and credible.

One feature in the story gave me a bit of a problem: the theft of a page of Hugh's file. That seems a bit of a stretch of the imagination but I won't try and find out if it did actually happen.

It was also nice to see a film that is clearly not a pilot for a potential series.

And of course it does make a very important point about the banking sector. Overall strongly recommended.