BRITISH COMEDY
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an inordinate time looking hack the way" for its laughs with the likes of' ll'i's/i lint lli'rt' l/(’I'(’ and ll'i'I/inui/ and l. but there was contemporary fun to he had with [.Ut'tl/ llt’I'U. .Vlfl'lt’l‘ léi/t'iiiint' and Gregory's (ii/'l. down-to-earth homey dramas with scripts tighter than .lohn (iordon Sinclair‘s l'oothall shorts. The working class strain continued into the 90s with BIYISM’t/ ()[fand I‘M/l .lloniy' while the emergence of Asian comedy was ey'ident with [flirt/'1' on I/It' Bette/i and lids! ls lz‘us'I. continuing into the Noughties with Bent! If like Bt’t'k/lrllll.
But perhaps we can blame today‘s demise on the ‘)(ls biggest comedy success. l)espite heing hrimf'ul ol' hateful individuals. l‘intr lli’t/t/ings (UNI u l‘unt'm/ was a bittersweet glory with Richard (‘urtis' script leading ey'ery' two-hit hack to believe that they could match him. So. we have since had a slew of leatherlight romcom affairs including Sliding Doors. .\'olting Hill. (Iiz'gnijy".y‘ ’lii'o (fir/x. Brit/get .lUIIt'.\'. and bloody Lure. Actual/y. (‘urtis~ ill-ady‘ised directorial dchut. And when something marginally more edgy comes along. an .‘I/lrllll (1 Boy or a ('u/t'nt/ur (fir/s or an .'I/f (i In l)u Home. we are almost ecstatic with gratitude for a spot of sell-harm. aged nudity and jangly misogyny.
No doubt there is some issue with funding that can he discussed in another place. hut perhaps the main prohlem is that the British film industry quite simply doesn't take comedy seriously enough. Where once we ruled the way es with l€aling. and steadied the ship hack home with (any ()n and ('onli'ssiuns. .\'ick Park and his .-\ardman crew are the only ones consistently pushing the boat out and making progressiy'e. impressiy'e comedy art. Richard (‘urtis would argue that he is avoiding the sinking ship financially but his moy‘ies‘ haye become so incredibly ghastly that the only moy-ement he
18 THE LIST 37' Apr—l 1 May 3005
Clockwise from left: Shaun of the Dead; Sex Lives of the Potato Men; Four Weddings and a Funeral
SEX LIVES OF THE POTATO MEN THE WORST FILM EVER? QUITE LIKELY
inspires is around the bowel area. 1.1m: .‘It‘llltl/l_\'
shotild have been today's prog rock. a sell.- satislied trigger for a punk rey‘iy‘al in British film. Instead. all we get is (mi/pm. a pleasant enough
semi-improy‘ised jaunt around the quirkier end of
wedding planning. hut not exactly what it wants to he. which is the next I'll/l .llonry‘.
Naturally enough. we need to turn to the [SA for examples of getting it right. lt does treat comedy in a proper way. While .lim ('arrey'. Billy (‘ry'stal and Mike Myers haye hecome
international superstars solely on the basis of
making tis laugh at their moy'ies. we are relying a little too heay'ily' on decent 'l‘\' talent such as
.lohnny Vegas and Macken/ie (‘rookz Star l.fl'(’.\ (if
IIH’ l’niuln Men the worst film ey‘er'.’ Quite likely.
So. where are the say'iours‘.’ Nick Park is an ohy‘ious one and. for a l’SZ slacker. Simon l’egg looks to haye the requisite inotiy'ation to make the leap from l'unny' ’l‘\' guy into hona lide film comedy god. After the simple hut massiy'ely ef‘l'ectiy‘e Shaun oft/1e Dem]. much w ill he expected of' his Upcoming HUI l”u:_:. And may be we need a bit of quality posh in there. l)espite heing attached to some driyel in his time. llugh (irant has honed his irritating humbling lop act into a humhling lop with y'ast comedic potential. So long as he steers far from (‘urtis‘ shores.
Confetti is out on Friday 5 May. See review, right.
COMEDY CONFETTI (15) 99min 0..
I guess you can hardly blame the people behind Confetti for belieVing that the next big British comedy film might come from the werld of weddings. After all, the biggest movie of this genre during the 90s had four of them in ll. And a funeral. And a Wet Wet Wet summer chart topper. But we don't like to talk about that In Confetti, we get three sets of happy couples. ail of them getting spliced in one day as part of a competition for a trade magaZine's Wedding of the Year venture.
Jimmy Carr is the editor of Confetti mag whose big new idea gets the reluctant backing of his publisher. though legal adwce is never too far from being required. With the contenders haying pitched the” dreams. the list is narrowed down to a triplet of themed big days: tennis, musical and naturist. From there the planne s are brooght in and yes. they're gay men; one is campness personified the other is more butch but prone to Outbursts of rage and tears. Among the intendeds in the frame for the main prize are Stephen Mangan (Green Wing). Robert Webb (Peep Show). Juliet Stevenson and Martin Freeman but moral questions. uber-competitiveness and famin interference get in the way of the best laid wedding plans.
There are a few hitches With the film. The fine final 20 minutes of highly choreographed and thoroughly inventive weddings sit rather awkwardly With the much-heralded improwsed hits (the first hour approxrmately). The problem with the bttilCl-up to the big day IS that it's JllSl not that funny. Which. consrdering the talent involved. IS nothing ShOrt of Criminal.
(Brian Donaldson) I General release from Fri 5 May.