|
|
 |
No Surrender
R2 - United Kingdom - Second Sight Review written by and copyright: Neil Bray (21st July 2011). |
|
The Film
 From the back of the box: “It’s New Year’s Eve at The Charleston, a run-down club in Liverpool owned by the local gangland boss. The new manager has arrived and soon discovers his out of favour predecessor has booked a band that can’t play, a magician with a dead rabbit and two parties of rowdy OAPs. On one coach, a devout Catholic social club in fancy dress for a non-existent prize – among them a drunk blind ex-boxer. On the other, an equally boisterous gathering of Protestant revellers. When they get together mayhem ensues. One of the great British comedies of the 80’s written by the creator of Boys From The Blackstuff, Alan Bleasdale.” In all honesty I’m not a huge fan of British comedy (with the exception of the Carry On films, Shaun of the Dead and a handful of others). And as for Black Comedy, it’s a bit like Marmite as far as I’m concerned: you either love it or hate it; and I’m afraid I fall into the latter category. It’s not that I can’t find the funny in dire situations, I can, I just don’t find the kinds of films that utilise those situations as a tool for comedy overly amusing (with the exception of the aforementioned Shaun of the Dead). Nonetheless I sat down to watch No Surrender hoping for the best for one very simple reason: It’s from an era of filmmaking I love. As mentioned in one of my earlier reviews I was a teenager in the 80s and I look back upon the films of that time with great fondness; and through a huge pair of rose-tinted glasses that would make Elton John jealous. I’m sure you’ve all been there; remembering a film from your childhood fondly and welcoming it’s release onto DVD with a teary-eyed and giddy anticipation. That’s what I think is going to happen to this release, and I think there’s going to be a fair amount of people who are going to be disappointed when they watch this film again. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a pretty decent film; but (and that’s a forty-foot BUT with flashing neon lights) it’s probably not as good as people remember. The story is lacking any real depth and the comedy seems rather limp. There are a fair number of decent one-liners (“When God gave you teeth he spoiled a perfectly good arse”), but these do not come frequently enough. Most of the comic moments come from the interaction between the OAP cast, but in a story lacking any real depth that’s simply not enough to carry the film. Eventually the film degenerates into a group of OAPs (who should know better) engaging in a food fight and fisticuffs. What cannot be faulted are the performances. Everyone is superb with the material they have been given, most notably Michael Angelis who manages to rise far above the material to deliver a charming and witty performance. There is a darker underbelly to this story involving gangland beatings and a murder which, at the time, probably gave the film a much riskier and darker tone; but only succeeds now in muddying the tone of the film.
Video
Presented anamorphically in 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Dust particles and film imperfections are evident through the film, leading me to believe that A) This was recorded from VHS or TV and B) No remastering was done. As I’ve said before with previous Second Sight releases, the film deserves better. Especially for a long-awaited film making its debut on DVD.
Audio
A basic, no frills, Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo audio track is the only option. On the plus side, for this film, it does the job adequately with no noticeable volume increases or muffling.
Extras
Scene Access and a Making Of (18.57) are included. The making of is made up of film clips and interviews with Producer Mamoun Hassan and Director Peter Smith; both of whom talk about how wonderful writer Alan Bleasdale is and how difficult it was to get the film made. All in all an interesting, informative piece which also reveals some informative facts about film making in the 80s.
Packaging
The film is presented in a standard Keep Case.
Overall
A film that probably holds warm memories for lots of people who saw it in the 80s. It’s not my kind of film, but I’m sure many people are going to appreciate it. Deserving of a better release than this though.
|
|||||
|