Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageFaintheart (2008)
Director: Vito Scotti
Movie review
From Time Out London
This Britcom attracted much media attention during production, as members of the MySpace community were given (limited) input on the script and some casting opportunities. A worthwhile model for the future or mere online publicity stunt? The jury’s still out, since the end result is a decidedly stale triumph-of-the-underdog romp.Eddie Marsan, who’s a splendid supporting actor for Mike Leigh, doesn’t quite fit the bill as leading man, a geek obsessed with historical re-enactments who must fight to win back the respect of spouse Jessica Hynes, who’s been distracted by the manly charms of gym teacher Paul Nicholls. It all feels very samey, the comic potential of the mock battles never approached with genuine enthusiasm but treated as a mere gag, and one which soon outstays its welcome. Amiable yet underwhelming.
Author: Trevor Johnston
Time Out London Issue 2005, 22-28 Jan. 2009
Cast & crew
Director: Vito Scotti
Cast: Eddie Marsan, Ewen Bremner, Jessica Hynes
Rated: 12A
Duration: 92 mins
UK Release: Jan 23 2009
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation
On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'
Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
London Children's Film Festival
Read our exclusive reviews of films playing at the 2009 London Children’s Film Festival
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'
Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now