When Louis Met... Chris Eubank

Louis Theroux travels to spend a few weeks with former boxer and current dandy Chris Eubank. Chris immediately stands out as a character and Louis follows him onto the panel show They Think It's All Over, goes clothes shopping together and even do some sparing. Louis tries to get to know Chris as a person and not as a character and interviews him as well as his wife Karron and their children.

This sticks in my mind as one of Louis' most successful live-in programmes of late. It is successful simply because his subject is interesting and is willing to be interesting onscreen. Some of his subjects have fought over questions and refused access to some areas and hence been dull and secretive. Chris is immediately warm and friendly - however that is his personae after all. The most fun is had where Chris doesn't want to talk - these are the moments when he is hurt. For example he is ripped to pieces on the game show but because we are with him, it isn't funny, it just me feel for him more.

At home Chris tries to be a lord of the manor and this is very funny. His wife isn't afraid to say what his faults are and how he doesn't help her at all. He looks after himself and Karron looks after everything else. This area is given some screen time and the jovial conflicts that come out of this are good.

Louis knows Eubank is an easy target and cleverly avoids making fun of his subject or going for easy digs. Rather he gets to know him as well as he can and is able to hint at areas that Eubank tries to cover up. Eubank comes across as a genuinely nice person, someone I'd like to meet and drink with. He may well be a dandy and a bit of a figure of easy ridicule at times, but bless him he's a great person. The relationship between the two is good and it makes the film fun to watch.

Overall it may not cast a huge amount of light of Eubank but it is still interesting. If you are indifferent about Eubank then this may help you like him. Compare this well dressed dandy to another (soon-to-be-ex) boxer such as Tyson and you'll see why we should be taken with such a polite man who tries to have his ideals (even if they are a little messed up here and there).