Grow Your Own

I watched the DVD of this, basically because that's how i watch movies. I wondered at the start if I had made a mistake and was going to rue the decision to buy it, but no, things livened up a bit, the comedy was subtle and the acting was stock UK standard - sometimes too good for its own good, many viewers missing the sublety. I think today we are so saturated with 'blockbuster' and 'drama' that when we see characters who seem to be not acting, we just think that they're doing badly. I've done that myself. However, although I think that Philip Jackson, who is one of my favourites, was a predictable casting, the situation was ultimately sorted in the typical British no-fuss method of side-stepping the unpleasantness and dealing to him. I liked it, no apologies for that. I'll probably watch it again.

I recently saw this movie and thought it was charming and funny. The comedy was subtle in places, laugh-out-loud in others, but always well-placed.

I would disagree with the notion that some of the characters are superfluous or under- developed... I thought they were subtle, well-played and a great collection of people. I didn't find it hard to imagine them digging away somewhere on an allotment!

I do agree with the comment about Benedict Wong, this was a great performance, I also really liked Eddie Marsan and Philip Jackson's characters.

As for the name, I rather like "Grow Your Own" as a title!

I deeply suspect that 'tfitoby' is missing the point of what I found to be an extraordinarily sensitive and subtle piece of social comment. The point is HOPE and the vehicle is COLOUR. From the social to the physical, Richard Laxton peppers his film with the symbolism of diversity and change. From the stark, colourless winter emerges the blooming promise of spring, (using mirrored panning shots at either end of the film: Katherine Mansfield's time-honoured narrative tools in celluloid). From inconspicuous attire, evolves the vibrant 'panache' of Hawaiian shirts. The dichotomy of confinement is also explored (a space normally connected with travel, trade and promise presents itself as a physical and mental incarceration, whilst the physically enclosed space of the allotments represents freedom, social and cultural responsibility and diversity - not to mention what the intrusive nature of the communications industry). These are not humorous issues, but I feel that genuine and warming comedy helps to highlight, implicitly and explicitly in this film, the myriad of social problems – and joys - we face today. I suggest very strongly that 'tfitoby' takes another look - perhaps he could watch it on one of the BBC's prime viewing slots, say, on a Sunday evening?

Wow! A genuinely funny and moving film that lingered in my head for days. Probably the most unsexy list of ingredients to make a movie from - gardening, immigration, telephone masts - but it links all these plots with an amazing cast of characters who it is impossible not to care for. It's a bit like Little Miss Sunshine - why should a road movie about a dysfunctional family on their way to a beauty pageant work? - because you care about every single one of them and the same thing happens here. Rather than laying the politics of immigration on with a trowel the writing and directing insinuate it throughout the stories. A great piece of British Indie Cinema - It left me with that feeling you get after an impromptu warm summer evening sitting outside the pub.

Sometimes you just know after 5 minutes of watching a film whether it's going to be good or not. I bought it on the strength of John Henshaw being in it, he seems to do no wrong. In truth if i gave this film a 10 star rating it would not do enough justice for it. Ridiculously fabulous film that relies on story, acting, cranked up with a fair amount of emotional turmoil. Please see this film, it's a very undervalued classic. Im hyper critical of films, but this is perfection. When it comes to action/horror I generally think US films cannot be beaten, when it comes to a drama, i think its one area the Brits are way out ahead, there is a realism about this film that is quite unnerving. The humour very subtle and well placed. It's given me such a good feeling after watching it.