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Mrs Ratcliffe's Revolution (2007)

Director: Bille Eltringham

Time Out rating

Average user rating

6 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Another high-concept British comedy from the ‘what the hell were they thinking?’ files, ‘Mrs Ratcliffe’s Revolution’ is a reckless mishmash of featherweight, Ealing-esque farce and ham-fisted political lampooning that comes off like the feature-length mutant offspring of ‘’Allo, ’Allo’. The film opens in Yorkshire during the late 1960s where schoolteacher and budding Communist Frank (Iain Glen) manages to convince his doting wife Dorothy (Catherine Tate) and their two daughters that the only way to safeguard themselves from the creeping capitalist terror would be to hightail it to the GDR. While the quietly fanatical Frank does his best to toe the line, Dorothy soon tires of a society where you’re not allowed to listen to Roy Castle’s records or eat Marmite. For a comedy, it’s light on laughs, and though Tate shows promise in the lead, the film’s blinkered and lazy approximation of far-left politics is enough to have Ken Loach choking on his borscht.

Author: David Jenkins

Time Out London Issue 1936: September 26-October 2 2007

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User reviews of this film

Mel said...

Posted on May 25 2008 11:03 I loved this film. A charming and talented cast tell the story of an English teacher from Bingley in Yorkshire who takes his family to East Germany to follow his communist dream.
Against all odds his weak wife becomes a heroine.
Great music aswell

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Molly said...

Posted on Sep 30 2007 12:34 Fuckingg ace this fillmm iss :)
jess bardenn a good m8 at school went to go see it lol!!
fokin fantasticcc!!
loveyouu jesss
lucky bitch for working with catherine tate :)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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Joanne said...

Posted on Sep 30 2007 12:32 JESSICA BARDEN WHAT A STAR FROM CORRIE :)
Wetherby high school big it upp :D

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Lucy Brown said... said...

Posted on Sep 30 2007 12:32 WOW!! a brill film i love catherine tate and jessica barden

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Marian said...

Posted on Sep 30 2007 12:31 Absoloutley amazing!

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Josie Scott said...

Posted on Sep 26 2007 19:08 I don't know why the critics are out to get this film, I really don't think that there getting the point at all! I loved it, a light hearted charming cast well acted film taking a gently mickey take. What was Little Miss Sunshine but a light hearty mickey take on death, homosexuals and perverts watching little girls strip. Give me a good old fashioned brit flick any day.

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