In the past several years the British film industry has attempted to expand on Its choice of film genre. As per usual British directors have doled out the usual Comedies/Romantic comedies, gritty dramas, etc. Without delving deeply into other specific genres ie. Horror/Sci-fi. And thankfully the industry has begun to dip its toe into these categories more often. The result as you might expect has been rather mixed. For every "Shaun of the Dead" or "Severance" that has been released we've also had to endure dull or flat dross like "The Descent. Where "The Cottage", the latest project from writer/director Paul Andrew Williams fits in I suppose would be down to a person's individual taste.
Starring a range of actors which include Reese Shearsmith of "The League of Gentlemen" fame, Andy Serkis who is best remembered for providing the rasping malignant voice of Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and former Brookside star Jennifer Ellison. 'The Cottage' like the aforementioned 'Severance' is a low-budget attempt to parody the slasher movie genre. 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' no doubt being a prime influence. It's an odd direction for Williams to take considering that he had only just previously helm-ed 'London to Brighton', a dramatic picture that can only be described as being a million miles away from what this effort is. And while I applaud Williams for wanting to go down a different avenue, I'm afraid it's an avenue he might have been best not traversing. Now while I had some fairly optimistic hopes for 'The Cottage' I wasn't for one minute expecting a classic. But considering some of the talent involved I thought I should expect something of at least moderate value. Instead, while not completely awful. It falls pretty shy of the mark of being an amusing celebration of the slasher movie.
The problem with Williams's first foray into the Horror/comedy genre is that It's a film that has been clearly dissected into two contrasting halves. Anyone with little or no knowledge of what the movie revolves around may be forgiven for believing they were watching a comedic kidnap caper rather than a camp gory slasher comedy. The first fifty minutes of the movie revolve around the chalk and cheese brothers. The roguish David (Serkis) and the spectacled, geeky Peter's (Shearsmith) amateurish attempts to keep the daughter of a powerful gangster under lock and key. Having kidnapped Tracey (Ellison) the crooked siblings plot to hold her to ransom. This would all be straightforward enough had David selected someone more appropriate than his wimpish brother to aid and abet him. Not forgetting that Tracey is a mouthy, obnoxious shrew who is far more resilient than either would have imagined. Throw in a couple of Chinese hitmen dispatched by Tracey's father to follow the kidnappers to their secret location and circumstances get that extra bit complicated. Especially when the Scouse blonde manages to escape and takes Peter hostage. Making the unwise move of dragging him to the cottage of the title, which is inhabited by a deformed, homicidal farmer who bears a passing resemblance to the infamous Leatherface.
This Horror/comedy outing suffers from the fact that it doesn't always quite know what kind of movie it wants to be. Starting with a fairly long build-up which becomes so infuriating you almost find yourself yelling at the screen. Imploring Willaims to get us to the farmer and his little house of horrors. Too much exposition is taken up with focusing on the brother's failed plans. The Chinese seem nothing more than a disposable means to in some way further the plot and hint at the sheer horror that is to unfold. Resulting in a blatantly one-dimensional caricature. While the ineptitude that is displayed by Peter which initially provides the odd giggle eventually wears thin and becomes rather tedious. The performances from the three main protagonists/antagonists to be fair are fairly strong. Serkis plays straight man to Shearsmiths comically out-of-depth weed. It's a pairing that for the most part pays off as the duo has definite chemistry and Ellison herself provides a suitably foul-mouthed, acid-tongued performance as the bitchy Tracey. But rather than raise a laugh she proves just to be an obscene annoyance rather than an amusing thorn in the duo's side. And she soon begins to grate. Far from there being any tension to counterbalance the laughs. These are shoddily executed and there are no real genuine moments that make your heart race or truly startle you. While the OTT shrieks of Shearsmith as he witnesses the brutality doled out by the psychotic farmer are badly judged and made me raise my eye's to the ceiling. Is this level of deadpan humor that Williams expects us to enjoy? And with the requisite clichés piled on with little or no finesse whatsoever, what we're left with is a substandard piece of fluff that eventually ends on a bad joke which left me feeling somewhat bemused and let down once the movie suddenly cut to black and the end credits subsequently began to role.
So would I recommend The Cottage"? I should think that question really needs no answer. I would advise against bothering with it. But if you do then at least have a look out for veteran British actor Steven O' Donnell (best known for playing Spudgun in TV's 'Bottom')as Tracey's dim-witted stepbrother. His appearance may be one of the few little moments that may elevate the tedium.
Starring a range of actors which include Reese Shearsmith of "The League of Gentlemen" fame, Andy Serkis who is best remembered for providing the rasping malignant voice of Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and former Brookside star Jennifer Ellison. 'The Cottage' like the aforementioned 'Severance' is a low-budget attempt to parody the slasher movie genre. 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' no doubt being a prime influence. It's an odd direction for Williams to take considering that he had only just previously helm-ed 'London to Brighton', a dramatic picture that can only be described as being a million miles away from what this effort is. And while I applaud Williams for wanting to go down a different avenue, I'm afraid it's an avenue he might have been best not traversing. Now while I had some fairly optimistic hopes for 'The Cottage' I wasn't for one minute expecting a classic. But considering some of the talent involved I thought I should expect something of at least moderate value. Instead, while not completely awful. It falls pretty shy of the mark of being an amusing celebration of the slasher movie.
The problem with Williams's first foray into the Horror/comedy genre is that It's a film that has been clearly dissected into two contrasting halves. Anyone with little or no knowledge of what the movie revolves around may be forgiven for believing they were watching a comedic kidnap caper rather than a camp gory slasher comedy. The first fifty minutes of the movie revolve around the chalk and cheese brothers. The roguish David (Serkis) and the spectacled, geeky Peter's (Shearsmith) amateurish attempts to keep the daughter of a powerful gangster under lock and key. Having kidnapped Tracey (Ellison) the crooked siblings plot to hold her to ransom. This would all be straightforward enough had David selected someone more appropriate than his wimpish brother to aid and abet him. Not forgetting that Tracey is a mouthy, obnoxious shrew who is far more resilient than either would have imagined. Throw in a couple of Chinese hitmen dispatched by Tracey's father to follow the kidnappers to their secret location and circumstances get that extra bit complicated. Especially when the Scouse blonde manages to escape and takes Peter hostage. Making the unwise move of dragging him to the cottage of the title, which is inhabited by a deformed, homicidal farmer who bears a passing resemblance to the infamous Leatherface.
This Horror/comedy outing suffers from the fact that it doesn't always quite know what kind of movie it wants to be. Starting with a fairly long build-up which becomes so infuriating you almost find yourself yelling at the screen. Imploring Willaims to get us to the farmer and his little house of horrors. Too much exposition is taken up with focusing on the brother's failed plans. The Chinese seem nothing more than a disposable means to in some way further the plot and hint at the sheer horror that is to unfold. Resulting in a blatantly one-dimensional caricature. While the ineptitude that is displayed by Peter which initially provides the odd giggle eventually wears thin and becomes rather tedious. The performances from the three main protagonists/antagonists to be fair are fairly strong. Serkis plays straight man to Shearsmiths comically out-of-depth weed. It's a pairing that for the most part pays off as the duo has definite chemistry and Ellison herself provides a suitably foul-mouthed, acid-tongued performance as the bitchy Tracey. But rather than raise a laugh she proves just to be an obscene annoyance rather than an amusing thorn in the duo's side. And she soon begins to grate. Far from there being any tension to counterbalance the laughs. These are shoddily executed and there are no real genuine moments that make your heart race or truly startle you. While the OTT shrieks of Shearsmith as he witnesses the brutality doled out by the psychotic farmer are badly judged and made me raise my eye's to the ceiling. Is this level of deadpan humor that Williams expects us to enjoy? And with the requisite clichés piled on with little or no finesse whatsoever, what we're left with is a substandard piece of fluff that eventually ends on a bad joke which left me feeling somewhat bemused and let down once the movie suddenly cut to black and the end credits subsequently began to role.
So would I recommend The Cottage"? I should think that question really needs no answer. I would advise against bothering with it. But if you do then at least have a look out for veteran British actor Steven O' Donnell (best known for playing Spudgun in TV's 'Bottom')as Tracey's dim-witted stepbrother. His appearance may be one of the few little moments that may elevate the tedium.