75. Incidental Characters; movie review

INCIDENTAL CHARACTERS
Cert 12A
107 mins
BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, moderate sex and substance abuse references

Who knew Lewes was such a pretty place?
Benjamin Verrall's Incidental Characters is a veritable love letter to the Sussex market town as well as being the vehicle for a quartet of quirky uplifting stories.
This is another example of how a low-budget British film can punch well above its weight.
It stars Sophia Capasso as recent art school graduate Josie who is disillusioned after failing to launch her career.
The unlikely Alf (Howard Perret) - an IT nerd - becomes entwined with her after she flirts with him at work in a gift shop.
Alf struggles with normal life, taking people too literally and failing to understand nuance until Josie finds a spark in him.
His publishing house manager, Alison (Isabella Marshall) is bright but lonely, making the same social mistakes again and again.
And then there is her boss, Tony (Steve Watts) who is finding it difficult coming to terms with his sexuality while suffering the desolation of regular visits to a mother with fast-progressing dementia.
All four individuals are looking for answers in life while trying to overcome loneliness and establish an identity.
Verrall's style is part drama, part mockumentary with the characters seen in awkward relationships and then explaining themselves in on-camera interviews.
I am not certain that the latter were necessary, feeling that they distracted rather than added to the movie.
And not all of the film's intended gags are winners - indeed, I found it more amusing than laugh-out-loud funny.
But the characters are well-observed and I was inspired to root for them as they battled against the odds.
This is despite me knowing that the nature of the movie meant that all was bound to end well.
That fits just fine but there are surprises in the finale.

Reasons to watch: Uplifting Brit flick with a love letter to Lewes
Reasons to avoid: Some might consider it too light and contrived

Laughs: Chuckles rather than laughs
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 6.5/10

Did you know? In Lewes, Bonfire Night not only marks the date of the uncovering of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 but also commemorates the memory of the seventeen Protestant martyrs burnt at the stake in Lewes for their faith. The celebrations controversially involve burning an effigy of Pope Paul V who was pope at the time and are the largest Bonfire Night celebrations in the country.

The final word. Benjamin Verrall: "Incidental Characters tackles big themes by focusing on small moments; all the comedies and tragedies that play out in everyday conversations and interactions. I also wanted to show each of the main characters at times when they are alone with their thoughts, in their own worlds."

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