173. The Nan Movie; movie review

 

THE NAN MOVIE

Cert 15

95 mins

BBFC advice: Contains very strong language, drug misuse

Oh, gosh - Catherine Tate really stretches the joke with The Nan Movie.

She takes a character which is only slightly funny in small doses and gives her a mind-numbing hour and a half.

Unsurprisingly, the more she says outrageous things, the more the audience becomes anaesthetised to them.

And by the end of Josie Rourke's film, the ultra-opinionated nan has just become a bit tepid.

Nan is Tate's creation from her TV show in which she appears in short, potty-mouthed outbursts.

The laugh is that this is an old woman who believes old age gives her the right to say whatever she wants, regardless of who she offends.

Thus, she is utterly obnoxious to pretty much everyone, including her loyal grandson (Mathew Horne). 

The latter is also a central figure in her film, trying to persuade her to end a feud with her dying sister (Katherine Parkinson) whom she hasn't seen in decades.

The Nan Movie is a curious mix of a reluctant/chaotic road trip supplemented by Monty Python-esque cartoons and flashbacks to when Nan was younger.

Unsurprisingly, there are many references to old people being unable to control bodily functions and nan speaking inappropriately.

But this time, instead of offending people, she becomes a figure of love and fun. 

Goodness knows how. If anyone had the misfortune to meet such a person in real life, they would doubtlessly run a mile.

Curiously, during the movie, nan looked younger than her TV incarceration - which is ironic as it is 18 years since Tate began playing her.

At that time, it seemed fair enough that Horne's mid-20's character would be looking after his grandmother.

Now, while she looks younger, he looks a lot too old to portray a naive, loving young grandson.

But that is a mere pinprick of a criticism compared to the main problem - The Nan Movie just isn't funny. The joke wore off years ago and her reprise is just another example of studios lacking the creativity to give something new a go.

To quote Nan... "What a load of old s***".

Reasons to watch: If you are a die-hard Catherine Tate fan

Reasons to avoid: Hopelessly unfunny

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 2.5/10

Did you know? Catherine Tate (real name Ford) was expelled from her convent school when she revealed she wanted to act.

The final word. Mathew Horne: "It was a real landmark moment making this. I first met Cath 20 years ago, it’s a testament to her loyalty and I’m so privileged to be her friend. It was quite an emotional time." Mail Online

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