Posts Tagged ‘BRITISH COMEDY’

The Fast Lady (1962) Tribute to Stanley Baxter

Dir: Ken Annakin | Cast: Stanley Baxter, Leslie Phillips, Allan Cuthbertson | Uk Comedy

Stanley Baxter, who has died aged 99, was a comedian, actor and impersonator best known for his mimicry of famous figures, including the Queen, and his lavish and long-awaited BBC series that knocked the stockings off everyone’s tree at Christmas time.

Acting-wise he was in several feature films including The Fast Lady where he starred alongside Leslie Phillips and a young Julie Christie.

Having distinguished himself in supporting roles in ‘Very Important Person’ and ‘Crooks Anonymous’ it was Baxter’s turn as the star (his red hair doubtless making his stunt double’s job a lot easier), a naive Scotsman buying the titular fast car, a bright green vintage Bentley Convertible.

Leslie Phillips (who plays a character who rather improbably declares himself a teetotaller) later observed that “I’ve always looked back with pleasure on the movie”.

Shot on attractive locations in Buckinghamshire it provides a sometimes unique record in colour of an incredible array of guest stars from Graham Hill to ‘Monsewer’ Eddie Grey; not to mention Julie Christie who as usual gives the worst performance but looks absolutely ravishing. One of the best performances is probably given by Allan Cuthbertson as the driving instructor from hell. @RichardChatten

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Goodbye June (2025)

Dir: Kate Winslet | UK Drama 90

Directing for the first time with a script by her son Joe Anders, Kate Winslet assembles a starry cast for a bittersweet crowd-pleaser about grief and family loss.

Helen Mirren is June, a stoical mother in the final stages of cancer, but with no intention of making a fuss. Propped up in hospital and surrounded by her husband and family, June is going to leave on her own terms at Christmas, a time of year that is not always cheerful.

The adult kids are not a bad bunch, like all of us, warped by life but pushing on with it all the same. June is married to her hopeless husband Bernie (Spall) who’d rather be down the pub or watching the sport on telly than dealing with his dying wife, or the family.

The three sisters are never going to get on for the usual reasons. Winslet plays Julia, the financial success with her head screwed on but a handicapped child. Toni Collette’s Helen has decamped to sunnier climes where she’s gone spiritual and teaches yoga. And Andrea Riseborough is Molly, a vicious vegan, happily married but living on the breadline. Johnny Flynn is calm Connor, the one in the background, balancing it out.

Mirren is amazing as a no-nonsense matriarch pulling it all together peacefully from her death bed. She has come to terms with life and offers a lesson in how to face up to death philosophically. Goodbye June guarantees a few laughs and some valuable insight. It could be this year’s low brow answer to It’s a Wonderful Life @Meredith Taylor

IN CINEMAS FROM 12 December 2025

 

Chicken Town (2025)

Dir: Richard Bracewell | Cast: Ramy Ben Fredj, Ethaniel Davy, Graham Fellows, Amelie Pyecroft Davies, Laurence Rickard | British Comedy 89’

Buying into the truism that British filmmakers only make highbrow dramas or scuzzy ‘kitchen sink’ stuff, and that anyone over forty is a clueless old relic, this latest effort, a faintly funny low-stakes caper, falls into the latter category but is none the worse for it despite its lacklustre cast and a curious West Country voiceover.

Set between Norfolk and Lincolnshire, in the glorious ‘Fens’ that also seem to get a bad rap as a boring backwater, the story follows Jayce, a young black guy fresh out of prison for a crime he didn’t do, returning home only to wade into another criminal endeavour.

Jayce gets caught up in a scheme to sell cannabis grown in a garden shed by his elderly neighbour Kev – and here’s the star of the piece – real life comedy writer Graham Fellowes (Ken Shuttleworth, Jilted John) – who plays a relative of Jayce’s childhood friend, Paula.

The youngsters form an unlikely alliance with Kev and manage to sell the weed to a disarmingly-friendly dealer. But this attracts the attention of two local petty ‘gangsters’ who notice their trade has gone off in and immediately suspect Kev and his two sidekicks.

This all culminates in Jayce uncovering the real reason why he wound up in prison: and this provides the film with a rather far-fetched redemption for the culpable candidate, local layabout Lee, who has his own cross to bear.

All rather silly but innocent enough, overstaying its welcome even at 89 minutes. @MeredithTaylor

IN UK CINEMAS FROM 27 JUNE 2025

 

 

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