Category Archives: Comedy

Who doesn’t love a laugh?

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006)

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2007 #82
Liam Lynch | 90 mins | DVD | 15 / R

Tenacious D in The Pick of DestinyJB and KG, aka Tenacious D, go in search of the Pick of Destiny, an ancient guitar pick that will make them rock gods, in their first movie.

The humour is a mixture of schoolboy toilet gags, general silliness/quirkiness, and rock/culture references — undoubtedly, therefore, your mental age will dictate which bits (if any) you laugh at. Some jokes hit, others don’t, and whole sections seem to be there merely to ensure the movie gets to a decent running time.

If you’re already a Tenacious D fan it’s worth checking out, but if you don’t like them you’ll never like this. Personally, I think the music’s the best bit — and that’s all on the soundtrack CD.

3 out of 5

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

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2007 #81
Marc Forster | 108 mins | DVD | 12 / PG-13

Stranger Than FictionAnother of Empire’s best films of last year (this one was 21st).

Forster is developing an eclectic filmography, with Oscar-nominated dramas Monster’s Ball and Finding Neverland alongside psychological thriller Stay and the 22nd Bond film. Stranger Than Fiction is different again, melding several styles into a cohesive whole — mystery, rom-com, existentialism, a bit of fantasy, and those IKEA graphics from Fight Club. Some plot beats may be clichéd, but that’s almost the point; besides, there’s plenty of originality to make up for it. A few plot turns in the final act also make sure you’re never certain how it will end.

4 out of 5

Stranger Than Fiction placed 5th on my list of The Ten Best Films I Saw For the First Time in 2007, which can be read in full here.

C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America (2004)

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2007 #79
Kevin Willmott | 89 mins | DVD | 12

C.S.A.: The Confederate States of AmericaMockumentary about the history of America had the South won the civil war.

While an intriguing idea, in practice it’s disappointing. Apparently such a victory would have led to everything the nation did since being in order to maintain slavery. There are some neat ideas (a Cold War with Canada) and some genuinely amusing or cleverly satirical bits, but the focus is too narrow and, consequently, unbelievable and sometimes dull. It also seems unable to break away from reality far too often: Wall Street still crashes, JFK becomes President and is assassinated, etc.

The acting is frequently dodgy and it all has a very amateurish feel. To top it off, considering it’s pretending to be a British documentary, the style is too like cheap American TV documentaries.

All in all, a disappointment.

2 out of 5

C.S.A. featured on my list of The Five Worst Films I Saw in 2007, which can be read in full here.

Educating Rita (1983)

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2007 #77
Lewis Gilbert | 106 mins | TV | 15 / PG

Educating RitaJulie Walters makes her big screen debut opposite Michael Caine in this British comedy drama about a 26-year-old University student and her disenchanted drink-sodden tutor, adapted by Willy Russell from his own play and directed by the man behind Alfie and three Bond films.

For a comedy drama (which usually fail to do either successfully) it’s genuinely very funny, but maintains an appropriate weight in the dramatic moments. The script is full of great lines, beautifully delivered by the two leads; Walters is especially excellent.

If you haven’t seen it it might not be what you expect, but that’s no bad thing. Recommended.

5 out of 5

Confetti (2006)

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2007 #75
Debbie Isitt | 96 mins | TV | 15 / R

ConfettiLargely improvised Britcom, shot in a documentary style, about three couples trying to win a most original wedding competition.

It starts out quite poorly, with unlikable characters and an irritating style, but things do improve and a number of the characters do grow on you (some, deliberately, remain horrid). My favourites are the pair of camp wedding planners — you don’t get much more stereotypical, but they’re lovable and amusing from the off.

Fittingly, the weddings at the end are probably the best bits.

3 out of 5

Confetti is on BBC Two tonight, Monday 25th August 2014, at 11pm.

Kinky Boots (2005)

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2007 #71
Julian Jarrold | 102 mins | DVD | 12 / PG-13

Kinky BootsA working class Britcom in the vein of films like The Full Monty.

It may take too long to get going properly, and even the most casual film viewer could jot down the key plot points from the start, but it nonetheless manages some laugh-out-loud moments, and it’s more often happy than groan-inducing when the ‘twists’ come off. If nothing else it’s worth seeing for Chiwetel Ejiofor (who you may recognise from films such as Serenity, Inside Man and Children of Men) as a drag queen.

My score may be a little generous, but all round I enjoyed watching it, so why not?

4 out of 5

Ocean’s Twelve (2004)

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2007 #62
Steven Soderbergh | 120 mins | DVD | 12 / PG-13

Ocean's TwelveThis all-star sequel to the 2001 Rat Pack re-make received a thorough slating from critics on release, mainly thanks to its New Wave influences (which are only clear if you’re familiar with said cinematic trend), grittier approach (it’s less shiny-glossy more grainy-film-stock — hardly Bourne-compared-to-Bond gritty), and the feeling that the cast are having more fun than the audience (this one I’ll allow).

Aside from a few steps too far in the final act (such as Julia Roberts playing Tess playing Julia Roberts (funnier if it hadn’t been so specified), and the frankly irritating twist denouement) it’s still a pretty enjoyable film. But it’s true that the first is better.

3 out of 5

It’s All Gone Pete Tong (2004)

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2007 #57
Michael Dowse | 86 mins | DVD | 15 / R

It’s All Gone Pete TongIf you’re into dance music/clubbing/Ibiza/etc, then this film is definitely aimed at you. As for the rest of us normal folk… well, to be honest, it’s actually a fair bit better than I was expecting!

The main reason I wanted to see it was because I’d heard it had interesting sound design; other than that, I thought a clubbing-based ‘comedy’ really wasn’t for me. Turns out it’s not as much of a ‘comedy’ as I expected, though there are some funny bits (and some mere attempts at funny bits).

By the end, there’s an odd feeling of having seen something a great deal better than expected, but still with a certain oddness that holds it back.

3 out of 5

Road to Morocco (1942)

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2007 #56
David Butler | 78 mins | VHS | U

Road to MoroccoGentle, silly humour abound in this comedy, the third in the Road to… series. If you remember those plays that Morecambe & Wise used to do you’ll have a fair idea what this feels like, although with a couple of added musical numbers (and pretty good ones at that). It’s not ‘great cinema’ and it won’t be to everyone’s taste, but it makes for a light, fun way to spend not much more than an hour.

3 out of 5

Four short films

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2007 #52a
The End
2005 | Tim Clayton & Rob Crowther | download

A very brief film with a slightly silly, slightly amusing idea at its core. It doesn’t outstay its welcome, but it does lose something in that you can see the end coming almost from the start. Currently available for free at LOVEFiLM.

2 out of 5


2007 #52b
Bus Stop
2004 | Matt Abbiss | download

An animated, somewhat bizarre short about two people waiting at a bus stop. Done in a very simple style with sparse sound, but it’s competently executed and often effective. It has some amusing moments. Not bad, but mainly for people who like this kind of thing anyway. Currently available for free at LOVEFiLM.

2 out of 5


2007 #52c
Park
2005 | Andy Pearson | download

“Some humans in a park act like dogs” is essentially the premise of this film. It’s a decent enough concept for a short really, and is well executed with some nice little moments. Prettily shot in the autumn, too. Currently available for free at LOVEFiLM.

3 out of 5


2007 #52d
Nine 1/2 Minutes
2002 | Josh Appignanesi & Misha Manson-Smith | download

David Tennant (yes, David Tennant!) and Zoe Telford (she’s been in a variety of TV stuff) star in this comedic short about two people on an uncomfortable blind date that lasts just about as long as you might suspect. Genuinely funny for the most part, and easily the most professionally executed of these four shorts, but it does have a somewhat confounding conclusion. Currently available for free at LOVEFiLM.

4 out of 5