First off, i'm a big fan of Burt Reynolds (and his movies) and i was amazed to see (that after what seems like an eternity of DTV movies) he's finally back on the big screen (were he belongs) Reynolds plays a has-been action movie star, who simply can't get any decent roles. Upon threatening his shrewd agent (Charles Durning) that either he be found a good acting project, or be fired...Reynolds is given a dream chance of playing 'King Lear' in England. Reynolds hops on a plane to the UK, expecting to be pampered and working with the likes of Dame Judi Dench....only to find that, he's not in Stratford upon Avon....just plain Stratford (in Suffolk) with an amateur group of would-be thespians. What then follows is the usual 'fish out of water' gags, of a 'Yank in the UK'....and slowly but surely, Reynolds forms a bond with the group (who had once been skeptical about)
As a fan of Reynolds, i could watch him in anything, but i will admit, that the movie could have been funnier (although i did howl with laughter at a few of Burt's foul-mouthed retorts to the earnest thespians) There's no real huge 'laugh-out' moments in the movie, but it does leave you with a big smile afterwards. The rest of the cast are good too (with a special nod to Derek Jacobi, sending himself up, just a little) Charles Durning (Burt's usual sidekick) has a small role as his bankrupt agent/manager (He does look very frail throughout the movie though, but still occasionally has that 'twinkle' in his eye)
All in all, A BUNCH OF AMETUERS won't win any awards for originality (but it did receive a 'royal premier' in the UK last month) but it IS a warm feel-good movie, that should hopefully put Reynolds in good favour with projects more worthy of his talents....I hope?
As a fan of Reynolds, i could watch him in anything, but i will admit, that the movie could have been funnier (although i did howl with laughter at a few of Burt's foul-mouthed retorts to the earnest thespians) There's no real huge 'laugh-out' moments in the movie, but it does leave you with a big smile afterwards. The rest of the cast are good too (with a special nod to Derek Jacobi, sending himself up, just a little) Charles Durning (Burt's usual sidekick) has a small role as his bankrupt agent/manager (He does look very frail throughout the movie though, but still occasionally has that 'twinkle' in his eye)
All in all, A BUNCH OF AMETUERS won't win any awards for originality (but it did receive a 'royal premier' in the UK last month) but it IS a warm feel-good movie, that should hopefully put Reynolds in good favour with projects more worthy of his talents....I hope?