Three and Out
Friday, 25 Apr 2008 15:53
Mackenzie Crook and Gemma Arterton star in Three and Out
Directed by Jonathan Gershfield, out now, starring Mackenzie Crook, Colm Meaney, Imelda Staunton and Gemma Arterton, running time 106 mins.
In a nutshell...
Bizarre, inconsistent, uninspiring, offensive and dull.
What's it all about?
Mackenzie Crook plays Paul, a London Underground driver with aspirations of becoming a writer. Paul's growing resentment for his job becomes more acute when he hits two people on the train line within a matter of weeks. Yet, when colleagues tell him he'll be given ten years' wages as a lump sum pay-out if he hits another before the end of the month, he envisages an escape route to the life which he longs for. Cue a desperate search to find said victim, which leads him to Colm Meaney's character Tommy, a down and out who's estranged from his wife and daughter (played by Imelda Staunton and Gemma Arterton). The story continues along twists and turns that explore Tommy's life and whether he will in fact commit suicide and allow Paul to retreat to the idyllic cottage for sale in Scotland where he sees himself writing his first novel.
Who's in it?
Mackenzie Crook (The Office, Pirates of the Caribbean) and Colm Meaney (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Layer Cake) lead the cast with strong performances as the supposed 'comedy' duo that the film is based around. Meanwhile, Gemma Arterton continues her breakthrough into British film that began with St Trinians, whilst Vera Drake's Imelda Staunton complements as her character's mother.
Smaller parts for actor Mark Benton (known from TV productions such as The Street and Northern Lights) and Sir Anthony Sher (Shakespeare in Love) secure this as an all star Brit-flick cast.
As an example...
When character Tommy claims "I'm not sure that this is such a good idea", it could be argued that this quote reflects the quality of the film perfectly.
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
Greater odds finding a person who'd willingly throw themselves in front of a train just for someone else to receive a massive sum of money.
What the others say
"Three and Out is one of those lamentable British efforts which seem designed to have no audience whatsoever." - Nicholas Barber, Independent.
"Piercing insights into the human condition are far beyond this film's grasp." - Virgin Media.
"Essentially a knockabout comedy. And not a bad one, for the most part, either." MRIB.
So is it any good?
While the performances by the lead actors bind this film together, the storyline destroys this formula to a point which in fact makes it a struggle to watch. It is difficult to grasp the genre of the film as it is too dark and amoral to be comedic, yet not strong enough to be a drama. Similarly, the slapstick undertones of the film do not fit well with the general theme.
In addition, references to real-life stories of cannibalism plunge the offensive nature of the film into even murkier waters. Finally, where the film has audiences rooting for a specific ending, the failure to reach this leads to further confusion of what this picture is trying to achieve.
Overall, while a comedy about suicide may automatically be seen to be offensive, it is the way that it is written which is the part that truly disgusts.
4/10
Helena Wilson
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