Restless Natives

I was 12 years old when this came out, I'm Scottish, I'm male and I used to love Big Country. So guess what, I really like this film! It is however not the classic I remembered it to be. After years of searching I finally got this on DVD and I can now see as a grown adult that it does have some faults. The whole armed robbery aspect is a bit dodgy now and the ending is pretty poor too. All the rest is great though, the music is fantastic and the Scottish scenery is of course beautiful. The performances are great and I wonder why the cast never went onto bigger and better things? Instead of parts in dodgy Scottish soap Take the High Road! Ned Beatty is however a big name and its great an actor of his stature would appear in a low budget Scottish film. Good on you Ned! I'm delighted this film has at last appeared on DVD and its not bad but some more extras would have been the icing on the cake. Highly Recommended.

This is the kind of film that always cracks a smile on your dial. It's cute without being irritating, it's stupid without being offensive - it's all you want in an old fashioned comedy. And the accents are like honey lozengers; infact this is the very film you should watch if you are ill, or recovering from a hangover wrapped in a blanket infront of the TV. And the soundtrack by Big Country is an absolute hoot! What a film!!

Restless Natives is a lovely little curiosity of a film from Scotland. I first discovered the film as a kid and had watched it about 4 times, and had very fond memories of it. On seeing it again recently, I think it is a minor masterpiece of Scottish Comedy. Great idea, fun script, charming acting, good supporting cast, great uplifting music from Big Country and beautiful locations. As a Scotsman, we always get a bit patriotic seeing Scottish locations and hearing Scottish accents in films, and this doesn't disappoint. Forget Braveheart, this is a film that makes me proud to be a Scot. Now, I'm not saying this is by any means a brilliant film... I'm saying that if you like your comedies quirky, silly, fun and with a bit of heart then this is for you. Fantastic acting from Vincent Friell, Joe Mullaney, Bernard Hill, Robert Urquart and Ned Beatty. This film is great, I urge anyone who has seen it years ago to go and get the DVD when it comes out - you won't be disappointed. Favourite moments have to be Vincent's sweeping in the park, the cop in the joke shop, any scene with Ned Beatty and that brilliant chase across Scotland at the end. Yes, there are plenty of weak points in this film too but it makes me smile so much I don't care.

It takes a lot to get around the alarmingly 80's Edinburgh featured in this movie. A lot has changed since then and since the movie is about 2 guys who are bored with their lives, the city scenes are shot in the most drab and depressing way possible. This only accentuates their adventures in the countryside.

Basically Ronnie and Will are on the edge. They hate their lives so much and decide that a little highway robbery in the highlands would be just the fun they are looking for. What begins as a little fun soon leads to them becoming local heroes and, by the end, immortal legends.

With good characters, some funny scenes and a nice feel-good factor towards the end, Restless Natives makes for easily diverting entertainment. It's long, long out of print and ancient VHS ex-rental copies go for £135 at online auction sites. I think a DVD release is rather overdue. I hope it comes in widescreen when it does. I am unsure or the original aspect ratio but the copy I saw was in pan and scan and the lack of wide shot in the countryside scenes felt awkward and disorientating.

The mangled Glaswegian accents did NOT fit the Edinburgh setting though.

For Americans, it might take a "wee bit" of getting use to the Scottish accents, but this loopy, off-beat picture is so good and so entertaining, the viewer just sits back and takes it all in. Two boys who work at a Magic Store by day make their own "magic" as they rob tourist buses after work. Ned Beatty is fine, as always. This film is a real gem: the kind you just wish would get more publicity so that so many more would see and enjoy it. Savor it--and tell your friends!