Tamara Drewe

 Tamara Drewe 2010

• Director: Stephen Frears
• Seen by this director: Victoria & Abdul, Philomena, The Queen, Mrs Henderson Presents, Dirty Pretty Things, High Fidelity, The Van, Mary Reilly, The Grifters, Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, Prick Up Your Ears, My Beautiful Laundromat
• Based on the graphic novel by Posey Simmonds
• Cast: Gemma Arterton, Luke Evans, Dominic Cooper, Roger Allam, Bill Camp, Tamsin Grieg, Jessica Barden, Charlotte Christie, Bronagh Gallagher
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Gemma Arterton – Their Finest, The Girl with All the Gifts, 100 Streets, A Song for Marion, Kick Ass Girls 2 St Trinian’s, The Boat that Rocked, Quantum of Solace, Lost in Austen
• Luke Evans – The Girl on the Train, High-Rise, The Hobbit etc
• Dominic Cooper – Mamma Mia 1&2, The Lady in the Van, Summer in February, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, My Week with Marilyn, Starter for 10, From Hell
• Roger Allam – Endeavour, The Lady in the Van, The Tempest, The Politician’s Husband, The Angel’s Share, The Woman in Black, Pirates of the Caribbean, Henry IV, The Queen, V for Vendetta, Tristram Shandy
• Bill Camp – Molly’s Game, The Leftovers, 12 Years a Slave,
• Tamsin Grieg – Friday Night Dinner, Hotel Marigold, Doctor Who, Black Books, Shaun of the Dead
• Jessica Barden – Far from the Madding Crowd, Hanna
• Charlotte Christie – Pauly Shore Is Dead, Stand by Me
• Bronagh Gallagher – The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Tara Road, Pulp Fiction, The Commitments
• Why? Gemma Arterton and Roger Allam
• Seen: 6 January 2022      

       An authors’ retreat in the English countryside run by Roger Allam and Tamsin Grieg. What could be better? However, being an author myself, I’m usually sceptical of films about authors and here I’m proved right. Allam’s character is a womaniser, Gemma Arterton’s character, a journalist, is a maniser? I think I just invented a new word. Anyway, lots of bed-switching. Yeah, yeah. Alas. All these terrific actors in this lame story? And Stephen Frears?

       A word of advice. Avoid films about authors.

 2* of 5.