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FISHERMAN'S FRIENDS
Director: Chris Foggin Cast: Daniel Mays, James Purefoy, Tuppence Middleton, David Hayman, Dave Johns, Sam Swainsbury, Noel Clarke, Maggie Steed, Christian Brassington, Vahid Gold, Meadow Nobrega MPAA
Rating: Running Time: 1:52 Release Date: 7/24/20 (digital & on-demand) |
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Review by Mark Dujsik | July 23, 2020 The message, the music, and the mood of Fisherman's Friends are engaging—enough so that those elements could have sustained an entire movie. It's too bad the filmmakers didn't see that potential. As for the movie we do get, there's almost enough here to elevate it above the formulaic story on which screenwriters Piers Ashworth, Meg Leonard, and Nick Moorcroft have settled. It's based on the true story of the eponymous singing group, residents of a port in Cornwall who work the sea as fishers, members of the coastguard, or rescue workers. Their repertoire consists of sea shanties—those rhythmic, harmonious call-and-answer ditties that have gotten sailors through work for centuries. Such music may seem like an unlikely genre to achieve mainstream popularity, but the existence of this movie pretty much answers its own dramatic question: Will the band, recording an album with the help of a London-based manager, make it big? If the real group hadn't, we wouldn't be watching this. That's partially the problem here, but it's mainly one of focus. De facto group leader Jim (James Purefoy) and his fellow singing fishermen may matter, but the story is mostly seen from the perspective of Danny (Daniel Mays), the outsider/manager. While visiting Port Isaac for a weekend bachelor party, he's tricked by his industry friends to get the singing group to sign a contract. After some convincing, they do, and since Danny gave his word, he feels obligated to get them a record deal. Jim's pretty, divorced daughter Alwyn (Tuppence Middleton) is another reason for Danny to stick around. The screenplay and director Chris Foggin establish a real sense of community in the port, even if it involves a lot of joking around with the city guy, and when the group sings, we can hear the camaraderie, the history, and even the potential of their success. The group (most of them unnamed and filling in space in the background) doesn't care about fame. It's the joy and necessity of singing that counts. Fisherman's Friends, though, doesn't quite embrace that notion. Instead, the movie is about whether or not they'll succeed, and it's also about the romance between the manager and the daughter, Danny learning a lesson about the simple things, and the fate of the local pub. At times, the movie feels as if it wants to be about anything other than the music. Copyright © 2020 by Mark Dujsik. All rights reserved. |
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(for some strong language, and suggestive references)
