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Bookmark this pageA Bunch Of Amateurs (2008)
Director: Andy Cadiff
Movie review
From Time Out London
A Hollywood has-been slums it in an amateur British production: it’s a description that covers both plot and film in this amiable but scattershot comedy. Burt Reynolds is Jefferson Steel, a pampered action star desperate to make a comeback. He accepts an offer to do Shakespeare in Stratford, little knowing that it’s not upon Avon, but the (fictional) village of Stratford St John in Suffolk.Naturally, the amateur theatre group is in raptures about the arrival of their LA King Lear, but the man himself is less than enthused about acting alongside pig farmers and staying in a B&B with no ensuite facilities. It’s a reasonably amusing idea, and the script duly has fun with the contrasts between LA-la land and sleepy Suffolk. Steel pops his shoes outside his bedroom door only for a dog to chew on them. Later, the local mobile library is hurriedly transformed into a makeshift trailer.
Such antics raise a smile, but no belly laughs. Those are reserved soley for Imelda Staunton, who puts in a jolly performance as the owner of the B&B and Steel’s biggest fan. Derek Jacobi also acts a bland Reynolds off the screen in a no-brainer role as a Shakesperian purist. But the story is completely preposterous, as anyone with a passing knowledge of Hollywood and agents (ie 'Entourage' viewers) will know. It’s also hastily edited and, in places, poorly cast. The talents of Staunton, Jacobi and love interest Samantha Bond aside, the title may be more accurate than originally intended.
Author: Anna Smith
Time Out London Issue 2000/2002, 18-31 December, 2008
User reviews of this film
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- Slinky Sid said...
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Posted on Dec 28 2008 06:51
Having heard an interview with one of the cast on BBC Local Radio I went to see this movie with some expectation of an enjoyable film. I admit that I was not trying to be ultra-critical - and found the start of the movie with Jefferson Steel a little slow and presenting a stereotypical view of the Hollywood star at his worst. Once the film moved to the outer reaches of Stratford St John with its amateur drama group for me, at least, it came into its own. Having spent many years with village am-dram groups over the years there were all the right characters showing off the traits one came to love and loathe. So can it be summed up? Well I would sum it up as:
Vicar of Dibley meets Full Monty meets Jam and Jerusalem.
It was an easy film to watch with some pretty obvious plotlines - but frankly, the Saturday after Xmas was a perfect night of seeing a film that offered a simple story with a "happy ever after" ending.
Of course it was implausble (one review above) but then so was Fully Monty - and so have been many other films over the years but, for me at least, this was a humourous film which did give me more than a few laugh-outloud moments and kept a smile on my face throughout.
Frankly I dont ask much more from an evening's entertainment than that.
Go and see what you think! This is after all just my opinion. - Report as inappropriate
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- PERFECT DAY said...
- Posted on Dec 24 2008 19:53 One of the worst films of the year. Simple as that.
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- Ian said...
- Posted on Dec 23 2008 19:26 Really good fun. Going to the movies doesn't have to be penance.
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- pete thomson said...
- Posted on Dec 23 2008 16:18 a terrible mess of a film for the type of audience that expect so little from a night out at the cinema that its enough just to get out the house. The plot is stupid, underwritten and annadyne and the diretion is so whimsy that you kind of wonder why anyone bothered.ugh!!!
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- ellie said...
- Posted on Dec 23 2008 13:37 Absolute rubbish - great actors with a daft script. Burt Reynolds looked like a corpse and acted like one. A ludicrous farce.
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- Colin Hall Dexter said...
- Posted on Dec 22 2008 18:33 Lovely film. Terrific performances. Hugely enjoyable, funny, moving and unexpected. Great performances Don't miss!
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- whiz said...
- Posted on Dec 21 2008 16:43 A perfect escape film for the credit drunch time. Strong cast with hilarious dialogue and also moving.. A must see
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- Nigel said...
- Posted on Dec 20 2008 20:17 Fantastic, light hearted movie. Burt's back!!
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Cast & crew
Director: Andy Cadiff
Cast: Burt Reynolds, Camilla Arfwedson, Samantha Bond, Derek Jacobi, Imelda Staunton
Rated: 15
Duration: 97 mins
UK Release: Dec 19 2008
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