Another favorite from Sundance that is now playing at the Broadway is Brian and Charles and it was the second film in my double feature last night. This is a mockumentary about Brian (David Earl), a lonely and eccentric handyman in a small village in Wales, who has a penchant for inventing unusual items which sometimes work but mostly do not. One day he finds a head from a mannequin in a pile of rubbish on the side of the road and decides to make a robot by attaching it to an old washing machine and using other sundry parts found in his cowshed. The resulting robot, named Charles Petrescu (Chris Hayward), comes to life during a thunderstorm and he and Brian become the best of friends. Trouble arises when Charles wants to explore (he is especially keen to see Honolulu after watching a travel program on the telly) but Brian wants him to stay at home to keep him safe from the harsh world. Charles ultimately plays matchmaker between Brian and a lonely woman (Louise Brealey) who lives with her mother, helps Brian find the courage to stand up to a bully (Jamie Michie) who has been terrorizing the village, and convinces Brian to let him live his dream of traveling the world. This might not be everyone's cup of tea but I absolutely love British humor and I think it is hilarious. It reminds me of all of the old British comedies that I used to watch on PBS when I was a teenager and I laughed out loud through the whole thing. I am so glad that I decided to see this on the big screen (Sundance was completely virtual this year) because it was definitely a lot more fun watching it with a crowd that was laughing as much as I was! It is as heartwarming as it is funny and I highly recommend it!
Note: Stay through the credits to hear Charles Petrescu rapping!
No comments:
Post a Comment