A Bunch of Amateurs (2008)

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1. 

   dombrewer

   I have to confess I had no intention of watching this film, but was visiting my parents and it was on the TV, so I started half-watching it with them (honestly, waiting for them to get bored and go to bed so I could put a real film on) but got drawn in with wide-eyed horror as it inexorably wore on. I was under the impression it was some terrible hour long made for TV movie, once shown never to be repeated, not an actual feature length film made for cinema release but a friend on Twitter put me right as I jokingly mentioned I was watching Burt Reynolds playing King Lear. He described it as "one of the worst films ever committed to celluloid". It actually had a film premiere. It was given a Royal command performance for the Queen.... what the fuck.
   
   It's hard to know at times whether the title of this film isn't actually an admission of the production company as to the quality of writing and directing team, but just so you know it's about a fading Hollywood action movie star (Reynolds, seemingly drugged throughout) whose dodgy agent (Charles Durning, what a terrible waste) books him into doing some Shakespeare in Stratford, but "o ho!" not with the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon... no, Stratford Twatfordshire with the local amateur dramatics company, which includes British stalwarts like Samantha Bond, Imelda Staunton and Derek Jacobi (miscast as it happens, as he is completely unable to pretend he can't act). High jinx ensue as the American has to accustom himself to life in Middle England. Why he doesn't instantly leave when he discovers the truth is a detail I've forgotten, but it was probably very compelling. Comic highlights include the overheard sounds of a sports massage through a bedroom door being mistaken for sex by Reynold's over eager landlady - ooh, missus! There's also a stupid twist where Burt's estranged daughter appears out of the blue from America to replace Cordelia in the production. Hugs all round.
   
   There's no getting away from the fact this must be the worst interpretation of "King Lear" ever seen on film, manages to be roundly insulting to both professional and amateur actors, and could well be the nadir of British comedy films. It's boggling to think anyone who read the script before or during production thought otherwise. Oh, one parent did give up, the other one liked it. So, there you go, highly recommended. 11 years ago

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