Journeyman

Journeyman 2017

• Director: Paddy Considine
• Based on novel: no
• Cast: Paddy Considine, Jodie Whittaker, Paul Popplewell, Tony Pitts, Anthony Welsh
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Paddy Considine – The Girl with All the Gifts, Macbeth, Pride, The World’s End, Hot Fuzz, My Summer of Love, In America, 24 Hour Party People, Born Romantic
• Jodie Whittaker – Doctor Who, Broadchurch, Adult Life Skills, Black Sea, Good Vibrations, Attack the Block, The Kid, Kick Ass Girls St Trinian’s 2
• Paul Popplewell – Tyrannosaur, Bright Young Things, Morvern Callar, 24 Hour Party People
• Tony Pitts – Rogue One
• Anthony Walsh – The Girl with All the Gifts, Life’s Too Short
• Why?  Considine and Whittaker
• Seen:  26 October 2019 

Matty (Considine) is a world champion boxer. He’s getting old and promises his wife Emma (Whittaker) that his next bout will be his last. He wins on points, but he later collapses with severe brain damage. He doesn’t remember their baby daughter. His mind doesn’t work right, he can’t speak clearly, he can’t walk well.

Emma is left with the burden of taking care of him and dealing with his violent outbursts. She has lost the man she loves and feels desperately alone. When he shuts the baby in the washing machine because her crying disturbed him, Emma takes her and leaves.

It’s the story of Matty’s struggle to recover and it turns into a tear jerker. That is its weakness. It’s too much of a disease-of-the-week film, Emma is given the superficial role of caring supportive wife with no depth of her own and there is the moral dilemma of boxing itself. Considine and Whittaker are as outstanding as always but

3 * of 5

PS Believe it or not I’m a boxer myself. I train boxing every week with the fabulous Hilda down at the local pensioners’ gym. It’s great fun, great exercise and we don’t hit each other’s heads.