How entertaining? ★★★★☆
Thought provoking? ★☆☆☆☆ 31 July 2011
This a movie review of THE DRUMMOND WILL. |
“And as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mobbed him and said to him, ‘Go up you bald head, go up you bald head.’ So he turned around and looked at them and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the Lord and two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the youths. I believe Howard requested that passage himself,” Vicar (Nigel Osner)
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The title is a play on words; referring to the last will of Howard Drummond, and I guess will power, drive, desire and force. All of these are encapsulated in this charming comedy. Opening with a death and a funeral, we are introduced to the sons of the deceased, up from the city to this small countryside community. Like 'Peep Show' the two leads represent the id and ego. Marcus is all uptight and humourless, while Danny is full of beans. They seem not particularly close to their father, evidenced by the lack of awareness of the layout of the village and his home. Marcus is in a hurry to return back, but is convinced to stay for a pint, which then turns into a weekend of escapades.
The thing that quickly drew my attention, was how well shot the film is. Cinematographer Adam Etherington, take a bow! The black and white is sharp and stylish, making you wonder why more low-budget films can’t be as handsome. As the plot unfolds, with the discovery of a huge sum of money in their father’s residence and the accidental death of one of his friends, the tone is revealed to be not one of personal reflection (such as GARDEN STATE) or familial reconnection (e.g. LEAVES OF GRASS), as a result of a death, but a gentle farce of escalating calamity. The brothers want to keep the cash without consequences, but this is a movie after all. The benchmarks of this kind of caper are Bill Murray’s QUICK CHANGE, John Cleese’s CLOCKWISE and Doug Liman’s GO. THE DRUMMOND WILL doesn’t appear to have these movies’ resources. It is instead a low-key take on chaos and absurdity, which zips along at only 78 minutes.