User Reviews

This is the first review I've ever written. That's how bad it was...I feel compelled to tell the world how bad it was!

Just don't watch it. Imagine going to see your child's school play. It's like that but with less of a story line, acting ability or direction.

I wanted to leave but also wanted to stay and see just how long the car crash could go on. Astonishing.

I must admit, I had my reservations about this film. Up until this point, John McPhail and his team had been the top dogs of short filmmaking and it was a concern whether the same momentum would transfer to a feature length project. However, I'm glad to say I was wrong to be concerned and that McPhail did not disappoint and instead excelled with this delightfully charming story.

On a technical note, the film is relatively flawless. McPhail has once again delivered a solid script that keeps the audience in stitches from start to finish as well as bringing them close to tears in some very moving moments especially in the films opening montage. The film has been beautifully shot by Grant McPhee and further enhanced in grading by Jon Bruce. My only gripe with the film was a few editing issues but on the whole it was an impressive job from McPhail.

The casting of the film was spot on. For me, Alison Peebles completely stole the show as Joan and was brilliant in scenes opposite Richard Addison and Deirdre Murray where her characters comedic timing was perfect. Lucy-Jane Quinlan as Jen was another excellent choice and it was a shame to see she missed out on the Best Actress accolade at the 2015 Sydney Indie Film Festival. Lastly but by no means least, a special mention should go out to Tyler Collins in the lead role as James. For an American Actor to not only perfect a Scottish accident but deliver the lines in a natural way that a Scottish audience can relate to is an outstanding achievement and shows how talented and diverse an actor he is.

Compliments should also be paid to the Andrew Lanni and Lauren Lamarr in their positions of the films producers. There are people who for some reason criticise filmmakers who work with the same cast and crew on a regular basis but bugger it, if it works, it works and this film is a prime example of how a close knit team can work so well together and produce incredible results.

I was very fortunate to catch this film at its UK premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival in what was essentially a home crowd for John McPhail. The extended applause at the end of the film as the credits went up the screen highlighted for me our industries overwhelming admiration for McPhail's talent as a filmmaker. He has done himself and his team proud with this film and I hope it becomes the springboard that propels McPhail and co onto bigger projects in the industry.

There's a good film to be made out of a story like this - but this film isn't it.

As lwizzo says, the acting is like a school play - amateurish and un-natural. The clunky script doesn't help - it's difficult to be absorbed by the story when it's made up of such contrived dialogue and characters.

Even if it had been halfway decent, the film is still far too long - the opening (perhaps mercifully) dialogue-free section could have been one-quarter as long - not least because it felt twice as long as it actually was.

A fabulous film from an up and coming young team. From director, John McPhail, producers Lauren Lamarr and Andrew Lanni, up and coming actors Tyler Collins and Lucy Jane Quinlan along with some older well kent faces and not so well kent, we have a thoroughly enjoyable and charming film. Following the story of a young man mourning the loss of his grandfather as he works threw his loss helping in the care home that had looked after him. Here we meet an assortment of very individual characters determined to buck the system and book it they do. Not quite One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest but much more gentle and loving. It is beautifully filmed both indoors and in some of Scotland's memorable scenery. I won't say much more about the plot except to add, watch it and be entranced and entertained by the film and its characters. You will not be disappointed. To add, it is all backed up by a lovely score, most of it penned by the lead character, Tyler Collins. You will not be disappointed unless you have a heart of stone.

Thoroughly enjoyed the film; it was an emotional roller-coaster! From the montage at the beginning (I was in tears within 5 minutes) to the relationships and laughs developing throughout, it was extremely enjoyable and uplifting. Loved it.

The story is very original and the setting of the care home was different to anything I had seen before, yet it worked so well! It allowed us to empathize with characters on a different level as their stories unfolded within the home. As the film continued and the characters began their adventure, the laughs were frequent! Although fun, it still deemed very emotional, which I must imagine can be very difficult to create as a writer/director.

Loved it and would highly recommend it. Great soundtrack also!

Absolutely brilliant film, could not fault anything about it. Right from the beginning the music & cinematography grasps you. Then the acting, storyline & scenery just pull you right in to enjoy a beautiful, mesmerising & funny movie.