Portia Hilton
Blistering performances.
Lucia Ayala
It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.
Logan
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
FlashCallahan
Failed parole officer Simon Garden is framed for a murder committed by one of Manchester's leading police officers. The only evidence proving his innocence is a CCTV video tape locked inside a bank vault. With the help of four inept ex-criminals and love interest Emma, Garden must break into the bank and steal the CCTV footage in order to clear his name.....Oh the transition from TV to big screen is a long and arduous path. Some succeed with very little effort (Simon Pegg), but for others, they suffer an unfortunate Mis-step, which hinders them for a while.2001 had two particular cases of the latter. The awful Ali G Inda House was one, and this was the other casualty.The story is good enough, but the humour just feels so seventies TV sitcom, and the inclusion of the vomit scene on The Big One wreaks of desperation. Every one who is a fan of Coogan knows that he is a comic genius, his characters are hilarious and self deprecating, but here with Garden, it seems that he is trying to hard to channel Peter Sellers, but it always ends up with him reverting back to Partridge, which hinders the narrative.The rest if the cast are fine, but they are relegated to stereotypes, and appearing in little sketches that the film resorts too for laughs.It's a shame, because there are a few funny moments in the film, Om Puri is truly funny in his role, but at the end of the day, it just feels like a TV Christmas special, and no amount of Omar Sharif in a comedy wig can change it.
carbuff
As a British comedy I would rate this as pretty ordinary, just because I hold their comedies up to very high standards and this is only average in that universe. Compared to American comedies, this is probably a solid ten , so I'm averaging it out to an eight. It's worth watching, because there are a lot of laugh out loud moments, although, at the same time, many of the jokes fall flat. The plot overall is good, while being a bit uneven, but it redeems any failings with some unexpected twists. Some people might not be comfortable watching this movie with children because of a few mildly sexually explicit scenes. My summary is that I don't regret the time lost to this film, I just think it had a lot more potential.
Jackson Booth-Millard
I remember seeing this film once, and not only did I need to see it again, but I noticed I hadn't written a review of it, so it a case of all over again. Basically failed parole, or probation, officer Simon Garden (Steve Coogan) witnesses a murder in a store room, committed by one of Manchester's leading police constables, Detective Inspector Burton (King Arthur's Stephen Dillane). After escaping, Simon managed to drop his wallet containing identification at the crime scene, so he has been framed for the murder by Burton. The only proof he knows of to prove his innocence and Burton's guilt is the CCTV security camera footage on a video tape, locked inside a bank vault. With the help of ex-criminals George (Gandhi's Om Puri), Jeff (Sleepy Hollow's Steven Waddington) and Colin (Ben Miller), whom Simon paroled, and love interest Emma (Lena Headey), they plan to break into the bank and steal this video tape to clear his name. Also starring Jenny Agutter as Sarah Bonderenko - Victor's Wife, Emma Williams as Kirsty, Simon Pegg as Deflated Husband, Omar Sharif as Victor and Julia Davis as Insinuating Wife. I can see what the critics mean by the film trying to recapture the days of the British Ealing comedy crime caper, and it nearly manages it. Coogan is as good as what you see on TV, his range of co-stars are a alright, and there are some good moments that will get some giggles, so I might watch it again in the future. It was nominated the BAFTA for the Carl Foreman Award for the Most Promising Newcomer for writers Coogan and Henry Normal. Worth watching!
lastliberal
Steve Coogan (A Cock and Bull Story, Hot Fuzz)shines as a parole officer, who was wrongfully accused, joining his band of parolees in a delightful comedic romp to clear his name. Lena Headey (300) joins the fun, as does Omar Sharif.Not being familiar with Coogan's work on British TV, I was impressed with his talents and think there is some fine work ahead from him. Of course, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Headey, and would like to see much more of her.I usually don't go for crude humor, but I did have to laugh at the roller coaster bit.
