Almost Married

Choose by the wife (who often judges a book by its cover) - she thought it was a chick flick, was it?

Almost married wasn't the soppy crass movie I had thought it was going to be - but that's what happens when you don't read up on it first :)

To be honest all this has really to do with getting married is how (maybe) your LAD is perceived to handle the lead up to the big day when he has been on a stag night he cannot remember.

A lot of drinking swearing and stupid decisions from the lads mixed with some heart felt moments from Kyle (Phillip McGinley)& Jarvis (Mark Stobbart) "especially in Kyle's garage"

You are drawn in to Kyle's pain from the very start - "Ouch that must have hurt"... From here you join Kyle on is (WTF happened) journey accompanied by best mate Jarvis - now pay attention during the movie or the movie will end with you saying ..Eh.. (I did say there is a twist)

Not the best movie out there but not bad - It's worth a watch...

ME

Sitting in the cinema, I very much enjoyed laughing out loud many times during the film. There aren't many films that I would say that about; this is truly one of them.

It's not just a comedy; there is good depth to the story and the characters, with some darker moments and very serious challenges to deal with. The film is looking at male and female differing attitudes towards sex, relationships, truth and honesty. What does happen on a stag do? This is one humorous take on it.

There are some nice twists to keep you thinking. In the end the story is left a little open for the audience to make up there own mind, which works well.

All in all is worth watching.

If you've watched this film and given it a low viewer rating score, just go back and watch the last 15-20 minutes or so again. Because that's the heart of the film.. that and the scene where his close friend reveals to him what ultimately becomes the damning confession when linked with the ending. It's a pretty darned good little film. Maybe lots of viewers would want to be the 'fly on the wall' and see what transpires shortly thereafter.. I know I would. There's lots left to a thought process that takes place off-screen in this film. It's not always the most entertaining of methods to put forth to the viewing audience.. but it can at times be very effective. Watch the film again.. then decide how you ultimately feel about it.

I was lucky enough to be invited to a private screening of Almost Married, I didn't know what to expect as this is director Ben Cookson's first film and I admit I wasn't going into the cinema with any great expectations. What I was treated to was both surprising and extremely satisfying. Almost Married isn't afraid to shock the viewer, with scenes of male urination and visits to GUM clinics, although none of this is done gratuitously, what AM does so brilliantly is to address issues that are relevant in today's society, it does it with a cheeky smile on it's face and some crude jokes along the way. STDs and binge drinking are as much a part of British culture as Strawberries at Wimbledon and Fish and chips on Margate beach are now a days, so it's refreshing for a film to be brave enough to highlight these issues. It would have been easy for AM descend into ever increasing crudeness for crudeness' sake, thankfully this is simply not the case, the issues are handled with a degree of sensitivity and at times tenderness that is virtually always missing from low budget Brit comedy Flicks such as this one. Emily Attacks' performance was fantastic, giving the viewer laughs as well as moments of genuine emotion as she realises the relationship she loves so much is ebbing away from her. The two leading men play off each other brilliantly, Philip McGinley is perfectly cast as our protagonist, the desperate Kyle, who concedes to having made a huge mistake on his Stag do and will do (pretty much) anything to avoid telling his wife to be that he has contracted an STD. Mark Stobbart provides the majority of the laugh out loud moments as Kyle's sidekick, the outrageous, outspoken Jarvis, who conjures up increasingly interesting ideas to get Kyle off the hook and out of trouble, his unique wisdom and words of advice make for some extremely funny moments. The entire cast manage to keep the balance between funny and tender perfectly, even scenes involving prostitutes in a brothel are handled with maturity and discernment. The final scene of the film throws up an unexpected and brilliant twist that you won't see coming. I left the cinema with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction after 97 minutes of pure entertainment. In short, this is a superb directorial debut and I would recommend anyone to go and see it, you won't be disappointed. Bravo Ben Cookson, I for one am excited to see what your next venture will be. This will surely be the start of a long and successful career in film.

It takes a lot to make me laugh out loud - but I did during 'Almost Married' - from start to finish.

I am a bit squeamish when it comes to the sort of subject matter handled (with a degree of sensitivity amongst all the jokes) in this film, but the brilliant dialogue and nuances between the characters meant that I got so involved with the storyline that nothing seemed gratuitous or jarred in any way.

As a northerner who now finds herself residing in The Big Smoke, it was particularly enjoyable for me to see the perfect pub and working men's club - type interiors from my homeland :)

Highly recommended.