REVIEWSulian Barratt plays Richard
Thorncroft, who played
Bruce Mindhorn – a TV
detective with a remarkably similar
name to an ultra-minor character
in The Mighty Boosh. Having
faded into obscurity, Thorncroft
is summoned to the Isle of Man
to help in a murder investigation
in which the prime suspect thinks
Mindhorn is a real person.
‘Forgotten star tries to revive his
career and learns something about
himself along the way’ is not a new
story, but Barratt plays Mindhorn
with such infectious gusto – and
with so many great gags – that it
doesn’t matter.
Comparisons to the sitcom in
which Barratt made his name are
inevitable, but it’s refreshing to
see a British comedy film that isn’tbased on a TV character, even if
Mindhorn does take its cues from
plenty of other shows.
Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace and
I’m Alan Partridge spring to mind,
although Mindhorn is by no means
a cheap imitation of either. He’s
Alan in his desperate attempts to
be seen as successful, and Garth in
his tendency to take his art ever so
seriously; but a level of emotional
depth emerges here that’s beyond
those characters.
There’s a sense towards the
end that the plot might be trying
to overreach itself, but a sharply
written finale gives that a swift
kick in the privates. You don’t
mess with Mindhorn.
Tom WigginsSTUFF SAYS ++++,J
In some ways Passengers
is similar to Titanic, as you
watch two starry-eyed
romantics (Chris Pratt
and Jennifer Lawrence)
fall for one another on
a life-changing voyage.
Only the ship has been
replaced by a spacecraft,
and the iceberg by some
asteroids. Plus, you’re
more likely to start snoring
than crying at this one.
Ryan JonesSTUFF SAYS +++,,A giant talking tree aims
to teach a 12-year-old
boy that life isn’t always
as simple as the stories
make out. As he deals
with a terminally ill mother
and a trio of school bullies,
the tree (voiced by Liam
Neeson) helps him handle
his grief via beautifully
animated fables. A fairytale
for the Twitter generation.
Tom WigginsSTUFF SAYS ++++,Mindhorn_cinema
Passengers
_Blu-ray, DVD, VoDA Monster
Calls_Blu-ray,
DVD, VoDWATCH
WANT
MORE LIKE
THIS?Keeping it surreal this month are
a Boosh-inspired comedy and
Liam Neeson in tree form
Keeping it surreal this month are
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