This film takes a very offbeat and affectionate view of a folk-dancing tradition in England that is under threat of disappearing. I very much hope that this amusing and endearingly eccentric movie will raise public awareness of Morris dancing in England. The tension between preserving an old, "sacred" tradition and desiring to experiment and innovate is delightfully caught in a clever script and plot. Charles Thomas Oldham turns in an excellent performance as Derecq Twist, the eccentric leader of a Dorset Morris dance side whose daring experiments outrage the leader of the Morris Circle - Quentin Neely - played by Sir Derek Jacobi. One of this dancing side is a Frenchman, Jean-Baptiste (played by Dominique Pinon) and even the French language scenes are beautifully scripted. When the film jumps to California (a California filmed entirely in England), we meet a tremendously funny plot twist. Henceforth Derecq does for Morris dancing what Michael Flatley did for Riverdance. When I saw the film, the cinema was packed with Morris Dancers who were universally delighted with the jokes, the poignancy of some moments in the film and the general joie de vivre that the film conveys. I cannot recommend this film highly enough. It deserves to become a cult classic. Thank you Lucy Akhurst for a wonderful night at the cinema.
Review of Morris: A Life with Bells On
