Genre: Comedy
Related Titles: Walk Like a Panther, The Full Monty, Calendar Girls, Finding your Feet
By Leanne Harragan
After being signed by a London record company, ten fishermen from Cornwall have hits that reach the Top 10!
Despite being based on a true story, the story told of the Fisherman's Friends in this film is quite the filler! Yes this group from Cornwall created an album that reached the top ten charts with the help of a London record producer. That is seems is about as far as the similarities go. That being said the love story and the added drama along the way make this feature the charming feature that it is.
Having seen it three separate times, it's safe to say the charm didn't wear off, whether it's the catchy tunes or the cheesy-ness of it all I couldn't say for sure. As I said the music is very catchy, with the group singing sea shanties of old with different lead singers depending on the type of tune. The music is catchy and easy to tap along with in the moment, it's definitely something that I've found myself listening to on more than one occasion since watching. As for it's cheesy nature, with a love story as sappy as this thrown in, it's quite reliant on chemistry for it to work. Daniel Mays (Danny) and Tuppence Middleton (Alwyn) have great on-screen chemistry that makes their relationship (as cheesy as it is) seem very real.
There's a great few laughs thrown in with one of my favourites being the crack about the group being Reservoir Sea Dogs and the slip up with names from Bono to Bonio. All delivered with ease providing a good laugh. Despite it's general upbeat, feel good nature of this film, there are a few moments of stress and sadness, this was kind of to be expected given the age of the group involved.
Personally I love any film that is set in Britain, they always have an edge for me, I think it's because of the language that is used in the film and often the way people are. This group of guys constantly take the piss out of each other and wind each other up, it's very real and relatable. In terms of the language, on their first meeting Alwyn calls Danny a tosser and it's things like this that I love, the colloquial British slang that is thrown in.
While this film is light-hearted and for the most part a real extension of the truth, it very briefly touches upon the Cornish Liberation Army and the feelings that some Cornish people feel about the Brits. While this doesn't comment on the whole of Cornwall, it's definitely an interesting look into how some people view the rest of the country and how Londoners view a countryside lifestyle.
Fisherman's Friends is one of those feel good films that it's hard not to enjoy for one reason or another. If nothing else I'd recommend checking out the soundtrack that accompanies this film because it's incredibly catchy!
Rating: 8/10
By Rebecca Mannick
Fisherman's Friends based on a true story is a true delight. It plays with your emotions and eventually leaves you happy and upbeat. Danny is on a stag do in Cornwall when his 'mates' dare him to sign a local folk band called 'Fisherman's Friends'. Danny was out of his depth as his London A&R music business life collided with the band and their small town lives. He made it his mission to manage the band and at the same time he got ever more close to the people in Port Isaac.
Daniel Mayes plays Danny and he is super charming and kind of messy at the same time. He's a really normal looking person so I guess it gives it a more personal feel. The movie revolved around his character as much as it was about the band. It was a real development in character especially when he was trying to gain trust of the Cornwall locals. What I also found very intriguing about this film was how they were able to introduce most of the band members and some sort of back story. That makes the audience way more empathic for these people and makes it very realistic.
Theres a moment when one of the band members Rowan sings an a cappella song and it was so beautiful and moving. The scenery was so amazing as well - you almost forget how beautiful our little island is especially living in a city. The relationship between Danny and Alwyn was also so sweet and cute, instead of hindering the storyline it brought a whole new dynamic to the film.
I only have positive recommendations for Fisherman's Friends it definitely was my style of movie. Anything with music and a soundtrack really hit the heartstrings and I'm soon to be getting out the tissues.
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