1949
Directed by Alexander Mackendrick
Island people decide that life truly is not worth living if they don't have whisky so they attempt to steal it from a shipwreck. Does this sound totally stupid to you? It sounds even more stupid to me since I think whisky has one of the most vile tastes on the planet.
But that is neither here nor there. This is supposed to be a farce, which means the plot can be paper thin as long as it makes you laugh. The problem is, this movie did not make me laugh. I feel like my readers (hi Mom and Dad) will think I am a total buzzkill who hates laughing. I assure you that I there are plenty of comedies that I like that will be reviewed later on.
For now, this movie isn't really funny. It is actually just about a bunch of alcoholics (including a seven year old boy) with some pointless romantic subplots. British humor strikes again.
RATING: **---
Interesting Facts:
Based on a real life incident.
Shot on the island of Barra. I do have to say, the scenery was beautiful.
The title was changed in the US because there was a ban on titles with alcoholic drinks in them. USA!
This is one of the funniest and warmest comedies I ever saw, the best Ealing ever made. I am sorry you did not like it.
ReplyDeleteOhh sorry Amanda, it must feel like we are ganging up on you .. and that is not the intention. but I will have to agree with TS on this one ..
ReplyDeleteBut I've always been a fan of the book, had interest in the original story, and made a deliberate cycle trip to the (original) island of Eriskay..
Can't really remember this one so really can't defend myself!
ReplyDeleteFair enough.. you are being asked to defend comments for nearly 4 years ago when you were a lot younger!
ReplyDeleteI, for one, totally agree with you, Amanda. About the whiskey, that is. Awful taste. Although I'm told that if one drinks the good stuff rather than Jack Daniels then it can be very pleasant. I vaguely intend to try this one day.
ReplyDeleteAs for the film, I'm with the other gents.
I'd go as far as to agree it's not all that much of a belly laugh film .. but only to say it's better than than that. TS called it warm, and i'd go with that. Some may say it is patronising to 'cute little islanders', but I'd disagree.
ReplyDeleteSomewhere I have a picture of me nursing two of the original bottles taken from the 'Politician' - the ship that actually sank off Eriskay. Now that did smell foul, but a decent drop of real single malt '' ah.. Now that has put an idea into my head...
I wonder if it weren't billed as a comedy (RANIER WOLFCASTLE: It's not a comedy!) but rather as a heart-warming whimsical tale, if this would be a problem?
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw The Ladykillers (also an Ealing comedy - thinking about this further, I may have bought it from a shop in Ealing) a few years ago, I didn't really like it for kind of the same reasons. Looking back, I wonder if I were expecting punchlines which I didn't find. It'll be one of the films I've already seen but that I will watch again when the list brings me there in due course.