The Girl in the Picture

This film was partly funded by the National Film Corporation which was funded by the Government to encourage the production of British films. Why they should chose this derivative ,insubstationtial rom com is a mystery.

John Gordon Sinclair plays his usual unimaginative character.

The plot is so predictable that you can tell what is going to happen well in advance.

Nowdays films set in Glasgow have more of an edge.

I know that Cary Parker is listed as director and writer, but this film is almost more Bill Forsythian than any of his own works. Set in Glasgow, it has John Gordon Sinclair in the main role and it is low-key, intelligent and very funny. A must for Bill Forsyth fans.

I have warm remembrances about this sympathetic movie. It's funny, romantic and entertaining, without any exaggeration. You will feel immediate closeness to the main characters - if you're not older than 25 yourself, you may recognize the problems you may have encountered in your first serious relationship; if you are older, you will smile and think back of the days everything just seemed easier and nicer. I only saw the movie once, 14 years ago, but until today I remember this particular one-liner. After having been split up for several weeks, Mary and Alan meet again. You can tell from their faces, they both feel sorry and regret they are not together any more. There is this mutual uneasieness, until Alan mumbles: "I feel miserable. But I like feeling miserable with you."

I am just watching this movie on the Talking Pictures TV channel, I was in the mood for a comedy and thought I would give it a go.

The character of Alan is a right pillock in his attitude to his girlfriend, and I am speaking from experience in this observation.

He doesn't realise just how lucky he is that any self respecting woman, actually recognised he even existed. He is a nice enough young bloke in his way, but with scarcely much of personality to speak of.

This is only the second film I have seen John Gordon Sinclair in, the other was Gregory's Girl. His characterisation of Alan in this film is in mind,so similar to that of Gregory. That they could very well be the same person.

It's nice to see Gregor Fisher in an actual film as the only other stuff, I have seen him in was made for the television. Which was as Rab C. Nesbit, Para Handy, and as the Baldy Man in the Hamlet cigar TV adverts.

When I saw John Gordon Sinclair recently in the BBC/UKTV thriller Traces which was made in 2019. I hardly recognized him as he looked so different and aged so much.

It was a shock. He once specialized in playing gawky teenagers looking for love in 1980s Glasgow.

The Girl in the Picture looks like a movie written and directed by Bill Forsyth.

Unfortunately it is by an American Cary Parker and it seems this was the only movie he made. The movie seems underwritten.

Sinclair plays Alan, a photographer's assistant who is miserable with his his girlfriend Annie.

Contemplating breaking up with her, she calls it quits with him first.

Annie was hot, now Alan is moping around and realises that he had a good thing going with Annie. She has already had a fling with someone else.

Alan's younger work colleague Kenny is the one yearning for the mystery girl in the picture that he has developed.

Both are also engaging with a couple who are due to get married by taking various test shots of them in preparation of their wedding. However Bill (Gregor Fisher) who is older than his bride to be is harbouring doubts.

This is a genteel romantic Scottish comedy which has been largely forgotten. One of the reasons being it is derivative of Sinclair's other work which was better and funnier.

It does feel like a Bill Forsyth tribute act, but lacks the simple sophistication and humour that Forsyth effortlessly bought in movies such as That Sinking Feeling and Gregory's Girl.