Sunshine on Leith

Went to an advanced screening of this film with a Q an A with Dexter Fletcher at the end.

Well what a great film, the musical scenes were really well done, and it just felt that the cast were really enjoying themselves. Good all round performances from everyone, nobody stole the show, just everybody contributed their own accomplished style. My personal opinion is that its a really hard job to produce a musical, as it can so easily look amateurish, Mama Mia succeeded, and so does Sunshine on Leith. The locations were superb, especially the closing scene where it appeared as though all of the population of Edinburgh was present and joining in.

The Q and A was very informative, and I will leave you to spot the walk on appearances of Dexter and the Proclaimers.

A great night out,, well done everyone who had a hand in this production.

Im a guy of the 80,s and although i thought the proclaimers were good, i never really became a fan. Don't get me wrong i enjoyed there music and style , but it never generated a passion in me. But one dark lonely night while it was raining outside and the trees were rattling on the windows, i thought i would watch Sunshine on Leith ( I may have had a lager or two) , And all i can say is WOW , it was awesome, it was on par with the commitments, which is no small achievement, the song that it derived its title from "Sunshine on leith" sung by "Jane Horrocks" was amazing , I loved it. Thank you for an amazing film and a wonderful soundtrack. Thank you aqain for a wonderful Film

I'm not a fan of musicals. I'm not quite sure why I should enjoy watching people sing their conversations instead of having a straightforward, impassioned talk. Sunshine on Leith isn't that kind of musical.

Sunshine on Leith is cheesy, predictable and I had a fab time watching it! Adapted for the big screen, from his own stage play, by Stephen Greenhorn, Sunshine on Leith will be known by many as the Scottish comedy rammed to the gills with The Proclaimers' songs. The twins even enjoy a brief stroll in front of the camera and I found myself having a private game of Which Proclaimers' song comes next? in the cinema.

Three soldiers return home to Scotland after a tour of duty and try to adapt to life on civvy street. While Davy (George Mackay) goes home to mum, Jean (Jane Horricks), dad, Rab (Peter Mullan), and sister, Liz (Freya Mavor), his best friend Ally (Kevin Guthrie), who is dating Liz, stays with his sister's family. On a celebratory night out, Davy hooks up with his sister's friend, Yvonne (Antonia Thomas) and over the next few months we watch as three relationships (Jean & Rab, Ally & Liz and Davy & Yvonne) evolve and deal with the challenges life throws at them.

I'll be honest (as always), Sunshine on Leith is not a great film. There are occasional moments of ropey acting, it is difficult not to grimace at some of the circumstances, it all flows and finishes entirely too easily, there are far too many avenues hinted at but never explored, I'm pretty sure it's not a fair representation of Scotland and it's far from being an accurate portrayal of squaddies returning from warzones.

In terms of feel good films, it's out of step with the likes of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and lacks the gritty charm of Ken Loach's little seen but superb The Angels' Share. There is an entire subplot starring the latter's Paul Brannigan as Ronnie, the third of the trio of soldiers, that is hinted at but not fully explored, as if time was of the essence and director Dexter Fletcher felt the need to excise him for pace, and it leaves us wondering why he was left in the film at all.

But, gripes aside, this is an entertaining, inoffensive, thoroughly enjoyable experience that doesn't need detailed analysis. Take it as it is, lap it up, feel good about yourself and then move on.

Peter Mullan and Jane Horrocks, though not a couple one would automatically think to put together, play perfectly against each other as the couple nearing their silver wedding anniversary. Knowing the musical talent that brought Horrocks to the fore, it is an almost agonizing wait for her to be given her chance to sing but you'll be satisfied to know she has a few moments in the limelight. Though Mullan may not be a natural singer, he handles his numbers very well and there is no danger of him 'doing' a Peirce Brosnan (in Mamma Mia!) or Russell Crowe (in Les Misérables).

The central trio of MacKay, Guthrie and Mavor gel well, hold the attention, engage us and bounce well off each other, but the jaw-on-the-floor performer here is Antonia Thomas. She has been sorely missing from my life since she moved on from the dark, twisted and utterly fantastic Misfits and it's good to see her back on screen after such an absence. She performs well and is the equal of her peers here but when she sings… Wow!

There are more than sufficient high points in Sunshine on Leith to forgive all the missed opportunities and false starts. Given the choice, I would embrace another twenty doses of Sunshine on Leith than a single, torturous repeat experience of Les Misérables.

It was an eight star film when I emerged that settled comfortably into a six star once the euphoria had subsided. Sweet, fun, very enjoyable indeed, Sunshine on Leith is sure to be an absolutely huge hit with the 'only go to the cinema once a year' brigade. When the nights grow dark and cold this is a very good reason to venture out and warm your soul.

Sunshine on Leith is an enjoyable, exuberant film musical that is based on the songs of The Proclaimers. It tells the story of two young Scottish soldiers who return to their families in Edinburgh after serving in Afghanistan. What awaits each of them is an unsettled future during which they are forced to confront a number of issues that make it difficult to rehabilitate themselves successfully into civilian life: the need to secure employment (they find temporary work in a call centre); feelings of guilt at returning home in good physical shape when a friend of theirs who served with them sustained severe injuries and is having to contend with the loss of both legs; trying to rekindle their neglected love lives; having to cope with the revelation of family secrets that in the case of one of the ex-soldiers puts pressure on his parents' marriage; and the problems of simply being welcomed and accepted by friends and family after a long absence. None of these issues is dealt with in anything other than a superficial and sentimental manner. But that does not really matter all that much.

The cast, which includes Jane Horrocks and Peter Mullan, is very good. The cinematography is first rate (Edinburgh looks stunning), as are the staging of the set-piece routines and the choreography. And we even get a brief, Hitchcock-like cameo appearance by The Proclaimers themselves, who are seen near the start of the film emerging from an Edinburgh pub. The music is uneven. Two of the most notable Proclaimers numbers - "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" and "Letter from America" - are delivered in a much more muted and less punchy style than their original versions, which somehow seems unsatisfactory. From my personal perspective, there is also one underlying problem with Sunshine on Leith, that is incapable of resolution. I do not think that film is the right medium for musicals. I often enjoy musical shows that are performed in the theatre. But I simply cannot come to terms with them in the cinema. The transition from spoken dialogue to singing seems to me to be unnatural and mildly clumsy on celluloid in a way that does not appear to be the case on stage. (I feel the same about opera!) That problem aside, Sunshine on Leith is an engaging film, albeit one that is unlikely to live long in the memory. 6/10.

This film is a series of interconnected situations regarding relationships, all based in the same family. Davy and Ally come back from combat, to seemingly the delight of everyone. Ally looks to rekindle his relationship with Liz, who is Davy's sister. Davy meets Liz's best friend Yvonne and they begin a relationship. Liz and Davy's parents Rab and Jean appear very happy about this. There, however, are secrets and actions that threaten to undermine all of the relationships. When the film is set to songs by the Scottish group The Proclaimers (American audiences will know them from their big hit 500 Miles (I'm Gonna Be),sung by the characters and others joining in, the movie is wonderful, it is vibrant and fun, along with sad and even heartbreaking. When the stories are told without music the movie falters, since it becomes almost like a soap opera. However, look past those moments and bask in the great city of Edinburgh and sing along if you can. Its those moments that make this film really worthwhile.