"That was the reason why Noddy has a bell on his hat."
Cemetery Junction is warm-hearted, lovingly-crafted and very entertaining, like a gentler version of Boston Kickout. There are many laugh-out-loud moments in the first half, with the laughs less forthcoming as the movie progresses into more serious dramatic territory as all of the characters make big decisions about their lives. It has a dream cast of British comedy/character actors in the adult roles (notably Emily Watson and Anne Reid in fine form), and the three young leads do capable work in their rather obvious roles. The Gervais/Merchant brand of excruciating embarrassment plays for humour well here, but it also has great resonance in the more understated, reflective moments (an insurance worker's too-easily dismissed retirement, for example). The 1970s setting is mainstream and crowd-pleasing (an abandoned Spacehopper, likable pop hits) without being challenging; Freddie's family are straight out of Billy Liar, and even their highlighting of endemic working-class 1970s racism/sexism/homophobia is deliberately soft and almost quaint. Curiously, Cemetery Junction looks and feels like an American indie movie set in a small town about self-discovery and growing up, and by the end the main characters - and the audience - are left in a much happier and positive place.
Cemetery Junction is warm-hearted, lovingly-crafted and very entertaining, like a gentler version of Boston Kickout. There are many laugh-out-loud moments in the first half, with the laughs less forthcoming as the movie progresses into more serious dramatic territory as all of the characters make big decisions about their lives. It has a dream cast of British comedy/character actors in the adult roles (notably Emily Watson and Anne Reid in fine form), and the three young leads do capable work in their rather obvious roles. The Gervais/Merchant brand of excruciating embarrassment plays for humour well here, but it also has great resonance in the more understated, reflective moments (an insurance worker's too-easily dismissed retirement, for example). The 1970s setting is mainstream and crowd-pleasing (an abandoned Spacehopper, likable pop hits) without being challenging; Freddie's family are straight out of Billy Liar, and even their highlighting of endemic working-class 1970s racism/sexism/homophobia is deliberately soft and almost quaint. Curiously, Cemetery Junction looks and feels like an American indie movie set in a small town about self-discovery and growing up, and by the end the main characters - and the audience - are left in a much happier and positive place.
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