Home What's On Film Reviews

Wah-Wah (15)

Jun 2 2006 By Graham Young, Birmingham Mail

ACTOR turned writer-director Richard E Grant keeps himself out of this semi-autobiographical story of his Swaziland childhood.

But there's a good cast regardless, with Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy/The Weather Man) playing the teenage 'Ralph'.

Traumatised by seeing his mother Lauren (Miranda Richardson) having car sex with her lover, Ralph is brought up by alcoholic father Harry (Gabriel Byrne).

Julie Walters is on particularly fine comedy form as Aunt Gwen - especially when she tells Lady Riva Harwick (Celia Imrie) that she 'can't act'! - and Emily Watson plays stepmother Ruby.

There are also landscapes to match and, were Grant to direct again, I'd look forward to the result.

But, even though he won two nominations at last year's British Independent Film Awards, I wasn't at all moved by a story lacking focus and real drama.

News AlertsForums

Read more Film Reviews

Changeling (15)

THEY say truth is stranger than fiction. Read

Four Christmases (12A)

HERE’S a film in which all of your Christmases literally come at once. Unfortunately, they are all so bad that they will probably put you off the festive season for ever. Read

Site Tools