One For The Road Movie Review:

With a fiercely dark sense of humour and a moody use of digital photography, writer-director Cooke shows great promise with this debut feature. His style is similar to David Mackenzie (Young Adam), as he artfully makes his point with wry wit and unsettling themes.

Jimmy (Chisholm) has a reason to drink: His father recently died, leaving a run-down business that threatens to trap him in the Midlands for the rest of his life. And due to a drunk-driving conviction he has to attend an alcohol awareness course run by the extremely keen Ian (Phillips), who seems to have it in for him. There he meets a businessman (Procter), a cab company owner (Davenport) and a millionaire (Bennett), all of whom have completely derailed their lives with alcohol. But never mind! During lunch breaks they head to the pub for a few pints, hatching a plan to solve their problems. But Jimmy keeps getting distracted by the sexy barmaid (Dring) ... and the beer she keeps giving him.

With its fly-on-the-wall style and bone-dry comedy, this is like a tragicomic take on The Office, especially as Ian forces them into lame role-play exercises! It's also painfully real--every time these guys get in trouble, they head off to get another drink! The idea that alcohol is the cause of their misfortune never occurs to them. Performances are extremely natural, mixing clever scripting and improvisation to create characters that are wonderfully (and horrifically) believable. These are men and women we can really identify with, and Cooke cleverly brings out provocative issues without preaching for a second. By presenting it as it is, with blackly funny touches, he both acknowledges and debunks Britain's drink-and-drugs culture.

Some segments are hilarious (such as the class' paintball battle versus the "young, deprived car thieves"), but underneath the nervous laughter this is a story of desperation. The film drags a bit in its attempt to get every side of the story in here; there are too many comical scenes with strongly disturbing undertones, some of which don't quite work. But it's so telling, truthful and razor-sharp that it's definitely worth seeing.

Rich Cline

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The setting for this sharp, subversive comedy is a rehabilitation program for those convicted of drink - driving, comprising a group of very different guys who become united by their plan to sell a property to an older, richer attendee of the meetings. The discussion of sales tactics also provides them with a convenient excuse to go to their local pub, The Palm Tree, every night.
Along the way we learn more about how they came to be in their present situation, as well as discovering whether they are successful in their mission.

The opening is a belter.
It has no context as yet, but still pulls you straight into the story with some deft visuals and a thumping bass line – before dropping you back at ‘the beginning’.

Some of the biggest laughs are to be had within the confines of the group meetings, where the story kicks off, with patronising Ian, head of their group, trying to fill their heads full of snappy phrases to help them resist the sweet liquor, (“Don’t just stare up the steps, step up the stairs!”). Following which, they head straight for the boozer for a liquid lunch, concluding, “That was boring, just like school.”

The feel in these sessions is comparable to TV show “The Office”, that’s not to say it’s derivative, just that the psuedo - documentary style is, at points reminiscent of it’s brand of humour, and that’s a good thing, because it’s absolutely sore - sides hilarious. No kidding, this is a deeply funny film.

There’s a scene where attendees are asked to draw “the last time you felt really good,” which is painfully amusing, along with the role - plays, where their inner thesp can get a work-out. Other situations that generate immense humour are at the paintball outing (drink-drivers vs juvenile car thieves), and in their own domestic situations, although these are also tinged with sadness.
It’s not essentially a melancholy film though; it just gently reminds you sometimes that it’s not all fun and games. Families are torn apart, jobs lost, people let down. And then there’s the brewer’s droop.

Also really impressive, (for a first time full - length director, too!) is the visual impact, especially in getting across to its audience the level of the group’s inebriation with some fancy pants image blurring and stop - starting, frame - jumping techniques. You get to see the world through sozzled eyes without even touching a drink.
Neither drinking to excess, nor drink driving are glamourised here though, on the contrary we are laughing at them, not with them most of the time.
Richard, the target of their sales pitch, is essentially a wide - boy who made it big. He initially veers between sleazy and unpleasant, so you don’t really blame them for trying to take advantage of the situation.

The acting is superb, without ever being too showy, and the fact that each character has their own unique quirks and weaknesses means the performances are as memorable as the jokes. On the subject of memorable, the final scenes will likely be the ones you’ll try to explain to your mates in the pub - tell them to come and see for themselves instead.

This movie comes highly recommended. Don’t see it because it’s British, see it because it is a well crafted and belly achingly funny look at an often - prickly subject.

Brilliant.

Terresa Gaffney

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