Queen & Country

Oh Dear, this is a stinker! Only 2 couples in at the Curzon, Victoria last night. The rest of the world must have known something we didn't. The other couple lasted 30 minutes.......we gave it another 15 or so before deciding it was beyond redemption and that we had better things to do with the next hour. We presume it ran on to an empty house. Dreadful, clunky script and dialogue, cut-out cartoon characters playing simple stereotype roles, wooden, stilted acting, very weird accents (Caleb Landry Jones apparently occupying a class and region of his own devising). Sometimes I thought we had stumbled into an episode of Porridge or maybe Dad's Army. Caleb seemed to be channeling Oliver Reed at his overacting worst, combined with Norman Wisdom or maybe Lee Evans. Sorry, but this was shameful and shouldn't have been allowed to escape onto the screen. Was this a case of Emperor's New Clothes? Was no one prepared to stand up to Boorman at any stage and say "enough"? Was this posted in as a contractual obligation? Yes, I respect the career, but this was a sad sign off and not worthy. This is one that the cast, pretty much without exception, will wish they could deny being involved with and will look at from behind their hands when its inevitable Christmas TV showing comes round in a year or 2. 1 star if I'm generous.

Hope and Glory was delicious, sweet, sad and charming. This sequel, well, seems like a sequel in name only.

Some characters from the previous movie show up, but only in very, very minor and brief, non consequential roles.

The main story is a little boring and uneventful, like a bland episode of MASH. Pity, I really wanted to like this movie. There just isn't a lot of meat on the table.

Tasmin Egarton was GORGEOUS as was Vanessa Kirby. Callum Turner and Caleb Landry Jones did a very good job with what they had, there just wasn't much of a story.

The movie didn't just end as much as run out of script... I was actually surprised when the end credits appeared.

Sad. I wanted more.

Writer/director John Boorman set a high standard for his war memoirs with his beautifully scripted and acted HOPE & GLORY in 1987. That original bears little resemblance to this off center amateurish sequel QUEEN & COUNTRY. We wonder where the wonder went.

In the hilarious highlight of HOPE AND GLORY 9-year-old Bill Rohan rejoices in the destruction of his school by an errant Luftwaffe bomb. QUEEN & COUNTRY picks up the story nearly a decade later as Bill - Boorman's alter-ego - (Callum Turner) begins basic training in the early Fifties, during the Korean War. Bill is joined by a trouble-making army mate, Percy (Caleb Landry Jones). They never get near Korea, but engage in a constant battle of wits with the Catch-22-worthy, Sgt. Major Bradley (David Thewlis). Richard E. Grant is their superior, the very, very, infinitely put-upon, aptly-named Major Cross. The boys begin noticing girls (Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Vanessa Kirby – Bill's sister - and Tamsin Egerton) but that does little to help this thin plot.

Boorman is responsible for it all and though it has a few nice moments, it is a cake that falls.

This is a semi autobiographical sequel to Hope & Glory from writer/director John Boorman, dealing with his National Service years of the early 1950s.

Boorman like many others of his generation does not have any warm nostalgic memories of National Service. I always noticed it is only some right wing politicians and police chiefs that want to see National Service return. A supposed lazy fix to soaring crime rates, ignoring the fact the violent crime increased after World War 2 because of all those ex soldiers who had military training and use of firearms.

Bill Rohan the small 9 year old boy from Hope & Glory is now 18 years old and is doing his National Service. He is hoping to avoid seeing combat in Korea. Bill strikes up a friendship with the amoral Percy. Together they look to go out with girls and trying to survive two years of National Service.

Bill and Percy land on their feet teaching new recruits how to type. The fly in the ointment is by the book Sergeant Major Bradley, who is making everyone's life a misery looking for petty breach of the rulebook

Bill also strikes a relationship with a trouble attractive lady, Ophelia, however trouble arises over a missing clock that tests the friendship between Bill and Percy.

I have seen this film before. It was called Biloxi Blues, Neil Simon's semi autobiographical account of his time in basic training during the second world war. The movie has very little that was new here. Caleb Landry Jones has a mixed up English accent. David Heyman who reprises his role from Hope & Glory has been given a dreadful wig.

The problem is it lacks playfulness and fun coming across as anecdotal.

Writer and director John Boorman introduced us to some of these characters back in 1987 with the marvellous war time tale – 'Hope and Glory'. Bill is now ten years old and has been sent off to do his National Service – only we are now involved in the Korean War (which still limps on to this day – peace never having been formally agreed). He and his mate Percy though end up stuck in base camp teaching the typing pool.

Life in the camp is far from fun and games and the strict Regimental Sergeant Major and Sergeant Major make their life a bit of a hell – so they create diversions, shenanigans and go chasing the girls near the base by way of diversion. However, as with all diversions – whether on camp or elsewhere – there will be consequences.

Now this is a very well made film, period detail is great etc. The make up is all good and the acting is generally very good. Caleb Landry Jones as Percy Hapgood though struck me as miscast – his accent is unplacable (perhaps as he is American?); he does the emotion well but seems a bit unhinged – which may indeed have been the point. David Thewlis is probably the most stand out performance as the irritatingly unlikeable Bradley – and shows how broad his acting abilities are. Overall though a very good film and if you were a fan of the original, then you will probably want to see – but the jokes are much thinner on the ground here, but it still has a vibrancy that evokes the time and the passion in an endearing way.