![]() They constitute the nearest the film gets to social satire, though towards the end the plot makes them do too many things that are implausible. The other memorable characters are the two mischievous teenagers who exist on a diet of gossip magazines and sexual fantasies. The principal delight of the piece consists of seeing this compulsive rotter receive a long- overdue comeuppance. He is especially funny when basking in the adulation of unsuccessful authors who come to Frolics, romance and a very frothy farce his ‘writers’ retreat’ in the hope of discovering how to get published. It’s not Grieg’s fault that the role is a little too reminiscent of Emma Thompson’s stellar turn in Love Actually.Īllam steals the movie with his enjoyably odious portrayal of a conceited man posing as a humble hack (‘I’m a ten-page-a-day man’). This alienates a couple of bored teenage girls (Jessica Barden and Charlotte Christie), who have crushes on the pop idol and are believably harsh about the best-selling author when he attempts to seduce the leading lady (‘he’s not even a proper celeb!’).Įasily the most sympathetic character is the slimy novelist’s long-suffering wife Beth (Tamsin Grieg), who runs his life, home and office with unpretentious efficiency, makes delicious cakes and somehow forgives his adulteries. Much to their annoyance, she embarks on an affair with a flashily obnoxious rock drummer (Dominic Cooper). The film is centred on the title character, a somewhat unlikely Independent columnist (Gemma Arterton), who looks tasty in denim shorts and has returned to her home village after a much-needed nose job to wreak emotional havoc on the locals, notably handy-man Andy Cobb (Luke Evans) and philandering local crime novelist Nicholas Hardiment (Roger Allam). The English countryside is pretty, and it’s good to see a splendid cast of mainly British actors so happily and productively employed. Turning heads: Gemma Arterton as title character of Stephen Frears's latest cinematic offering ![]()
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