Svengali **
Dir: John
Hardwick. With: Jonny Owen, Martin Freeman, Vicky McClure. 93 mins. Cert: 15
This music-biz romp –
concerning a Welsh chancer’s attempts to push Libertines-like ladrockers The
Premature Congratulations around Soho – hopes bushy-tailed enthusiasm can usher
us past a shortfall of actual jokes, and displays an abiding cluelessness about
developing its source (writer-star Jonny Owen’s well-regarded web series)
beyond middling sitcom territory. Cameos from TV faces and a summery visual
sheen provide further distractions from the script’s fundamental issues of
cred: you just don’t believe Owen’s hapless protagonist would get as far as he
does. Hard to dislike entirely, but that initial pep wears off – and it’s sad
that any project should now be wasting Vicky McClure in the tagalong girlfriend
role.
Svengali is now playing in selected cinemas.
No comments:
Post a Comment