It's been a long time in my celluloid watching life since a real appreciation of a film some three quarters of the way in has subsided to head shaking and disappointment by the closing credits.
I can't add any more to the reviews already on here - plot development, narrative, humour, recreation of 80's England and acting (on the whole) are all top drawer.
But what sort of ending was that ?? The scene in which Combo (superb performance by the actor by the way) finally succumbed to the demons and prejudice within was fantastic and would have made a worthy finale to the film. Stop it there. No context required. No need to wrap things up.
But another 15 mins followed.
Firstly I'm not quite sure what the archive clips from the Falklands were trying to achieve - Adding resonance to the story just told ?? by a representation of misguided nationalism ?? or a reflection of the jingoism of the time ?? I'm not sure. The music certainly didn't help - the soaring, emotive classical accompaniment was overly mawkish and just made me feel I was being manipulated into a war is wrong/thatcher was bad standpoint. The film was great no need to increase the scope or make sure we knew it's intentions.
Why the need to let us know Milky was OK in the scene with Sean and his mum ? - surely it hits harder not knowing this.
But the final scene was so grandiose. Here comes the classical music again and Sean rejects the life he was leading by symbolically throwing the flag into the sea. Terrible, overblown and - dare I say it - 100% Hollywood. It reminded me of the scenes from those 80's cop movies where the grizzled NY cop having cleared his name - or that of his dead buddy - and exposed the bad cops ends the film by casting his badge/commendation into the sea.
So yet again the inability to end a film well and avoid MAKING IT REALLY CLEAR HOW YOU SHOULD FEEL really tarnishes the experience as a whole.
I can't add any more to the reviews already on here - plot development, narrative, humour, recreation of 80's England and acting (on the whole) are all top drawer.
But what sort of ending was that ?? The scene in which Combo (superb performance by the actor by the way) finally succumbed to the demons and prejudice within was fantastic and would have made a worthy finale to the film. Stop it there. No context required. No need to wrap things up.
But another 15 mins followed.
Firstly I'm not quite sure what the archive clips from the Falklands were trying to achieve - Adding resonance to the story just told ?? by a representation of misguided nationalism ?? or a reflection of the jingoism of the time ?? I'm not sure. The music certainly didn't help - the soaring, emotive classical accompaniment was overly mawkish and just made me feel I was being manipulated into a war is wrong/thatcher was bad standpoint. The film was great no need to increase the scope or make sure we knew it's intentions.
Why the need to let us know Milky was OK in the scene with Sean and his mum ? - surely it hits harder not knowing this.
But the final scene was so grandiose. Here comes the classical music again and Sean rejects the life he was leading by symbolically throwing the flag into the sea. Terrible, overblown and - dare I say it - 100% Hollywood. It reminded me of the scenes from those 80's cop movies where the grizzled NY cop having cleared his name - or that of his dead buddy - and exposed the bad cops ends the film by casting his badge/commendation into the sea.
So yet again the inability to end a film well and avoid MAKING IT REALLY CLEAR HOW YOU SHOULD FEEL really tarnishes the experience as a whole.