Firstly this isn't a Mighty Boosh film and secondly this isn't a comedy, yes it has some funny moments, but it's more of a drama. Quirkily telling the story of a road trip across Europe by friends Bunny and Stephen the action is told through a series of lo-fi set pieces which is a heady blend of Gilliam, Gondry and even Oliver Postgate. There is a real sense of a hands on glue and scissors approach. This comes across in the film as the attention to detail in the sets often threatens to overshadow the actors but it's the central friendship which is at the core of the film that keeps the fantasy in check. Grounded in a reality that most people should be able to recognise the story is at times a heartbreaking flashback to misspent youth and the bonds, no matter how strange, we form as humans. It's an age old story of boy meets girl, girl meets boy's best friend etc but the way the story unfolds with the aid of the animation gives it a fresh lease of life, its surreal and weird but at the same time charming and real. A series of cameos from three fifths of the Boosh are a little light relief in what turns out to be quite a dark tale but it's really Simon Farnaby as the lovable rogue Bunny that shines above all else. Clearly 'Withnail & I' had a big influence on the director if not the film and you will spot similarities, which isn't a bad thing, Whitnail is a classic. Whether this resonates as much with today's youth as that film did we will have to see but all in all director Paul King's leap from small to big screen is a success. It's clever, funny and dark and the start of a big screen career that will be well worth following.
Review of Bunny and the Bull
