22. Save The Cinema; movie review

 

SAVE THE CINEMA

Cert 12A

109 mins

BBFC advice: Contains infrequent moderate sex references

I really wanted to like Save The Cinema - the story was up my street and the cast was very promising.

But there is something strangely stilted about Sarah Sugarman's film despite the love which has obviously been poured into it.

This is based on the true story of Liz Evans (Samantha Morton) and her campaign to save the historic Lyric Theatre in Carmarthen.

She is the organiser of the local youth theatre where she met her husband (Owain Yeoman) and where her three sons now perform.

The town's corrupt mayor (Adeel Akhtar) is colluding with a corner-cutting businessman (Colm Meaney) to bulldoze the theatre and replace it with a shopping centre.

He manages to receive the backing of the council thanks to cajoling a new member (Tom Felton) into voting with him.

Only afterwards does the latter realise what he has done.

Anyway, Liz and her pals, including her former teacher (Jonathan Pryce) are stirred into action and, by hook or by crook, she vows to save the Lyric.

Meanwhile, the mayor who is portrayed as a comedy villain by Akhtar, tries all manner of devious means to defeat them.

The problem is that there are a great swathe of shortcuts taken with Save The Cinema which detract rather than add to the fun.

These include the simple processes of a council which many people will know are just plain wrong.

Then there is the very strange, spy in the camp, role of the mayor's personal assistant (Erin Richards).

Her opposition to her own boss sees her commit repeated sacking offences but he never even takes her to task.

She even stops a police operation with her supposedly in-depth knowledge of the law.

Ok, some might say I am being picky, but the great comedy is based on working with detail not ignoring it.

Fortunately, Sugarman's movie returns to a surprising reality for its finale and that lifts it up considerably.

Reasons to watch: Uplifting true story

Reasons to avoid: Strangely stilted

Laughs: Two

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 5/10

Did you know? The Lyric was the Carmarthen's first venue to showcase moving picture shows in the late 1800s - it was then known as the Carmarthen Assembly Rooms.

The final word. Samantha Morton: "I love drama and I love film… its such a beautiful story that made me smile, it's warm and it's a family film - this just made me laugh, it made me cry and its real people." Nottingham Post

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