I was meant to go to Paris but with the strike and the pouring rain my ideas changed. Lucky too because the premiere of Tamara Drewe was on.
If you are a trifle tired with life and a little gloomy, drag your nearest and dearest and go and see a good British romp. Somebody can at least write a few lines of comedy again. In fact there are some interesting Screen writers coming up, Four Lions, directed and written by Chris Morris, politically incorrect, I only understood half of it, is a new type of farce that is worth seeing. My son laughed all the way through.
Tamara Drewe acted by Gemma Arterton, written by Moira Buffini, based on Posy Simmond's, graphic novel, which in turn was based on my favourite novel of Thomas Hardy's, Far from the madding crowd. This was particularly fun for me because it reminded me of my youth, the gossip, the pseudo intellectuals, the dogs chasing the cows, yes they were always particularly annoying. The accidental deaths, the sex kitten in the village causing a stir, the boring wife whose husband cheats on her all the time and eventually runs off with someone unlikely, in the case of my village the stable boy. All so cream buns and jam. Restoration comedy mixed with St Trinians. Again similar because Tamara Drewe is based on a Cartoon Character and St Trinians on Ronald Searle's Cartoon Characters about girl schools that my Grandfather, Sidney Gilliat originally made some fifty years ago.
What I like about Stephen Frears is, his mind is constantly evolving, From Dangerous Liasons to Dirty Pretty Things, Cheri, The Queen and now this. With the amusing score of Alexandre Desplat, nobody could be bored for a second.
I find England an incredible place to live. Two comedies so completely different so very British, I take my hat off the the two directors whose visions will create so much happiness.
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