This comedy-horror is destined to become a cult hit like Tucker and Dale versus Evil. Our hero is rushing to audition for a talent show (bit like Britain's Got Talent), but various bullies and jobsworths contrive to get in his way. Things go from bad to worse and his dreams are shattered. It was his big chance at fame and fortune! Life is so unfair for the little man... until the little man decides he's had enough and is going to get even, or die trying! Cue all hell breaking loose!
As you might already be able to glean from the above, this movie has important satirical themes concerning class, capitalist society (even the Church is on the make), social inadequacy, social welfare and, well, just about everything else too. It's not just some idle piece of self-indulgent gore. It's a film with both smarts and heart.
And the cast is absolutely stellar, including the cream of British comedic actors (e.g. Johnny Vegas, Kevin Bishop and Katherine Parkinson). June Watson (The Lady in the Van, The Death of Stalin, and more) plays Paul's mum, and she is brilliantly poignant - definitely my fave character... although Mandeep Dhillon as the community police officer (and puts up with no end of grief for not being a 'proper' police officer) is equally fab.
I'm not too proud to confess I properly cried in both the middle (sad tears) and at the end (happy tears). Yet I laughed just as much as I cried. Like life, this film is a rollercoaster of emotions. I like 'light and shade' in my movies, as it generates that bitter-sweetness that is quintessentially British humour or irony (the latter term, ironically, can't even be pronounced correctly by certain American critics, LOL!).
I believe the film also represents a bit of a breakthrough for the lead scriptwriter, one Matthew White, so it's great to have a bravely fresh British 'voice' coming to the screen. If you haven't seen the movie yet, then get your life priorities sorted or die trying! The film scores a deadly 9.9 out of 10 from this enlightened critic!
