Goodbye Pork Pie

Using the well-established caper-chase road movie format, this follows two 'irrepressible' buddies on a 1,000 mile 'let's get smashed' odyssey in a stolen car, in pursuit of love and pursued by cops. But for all its admittedly speedy pace, the film pays mere lip service to the idea of characterisation and to 'earthy' humour with its lame, often objectionable jokes: 'irrepressible' means sexist antics such as betting on a girl's virginity, cursing 'stupid bloody bitches' ad nauseam, indulging in drink, dope and drearily juvenile zaniness. Only towards the end does the film pick up in its predictably darkening mood. But even then too many elements are plagiarised; Sugarland Express, especially, told a similar tale with far more thrills, wit and humanity.