Almost Married (2014)

The movie kept me glued to the screen. In the same league as the hangover or even better. Does not deserve this rating. If you have a brain you will enjoy this film.

I'm not sure if I was watching the same movie as the other reviewers that have all left 8 and above, it begs the question of what they rating they give a good film.Personally I'm a big fan of British movies, I do what I can to see them and rent them when they come up. I have a lot of faith in the acting and writing of fellow Brits to deliver. From Blackadder to Four Lions there's a lot of genius in British comedy. Sadly none of it is here.That said the dialogue and direction are good, there was plenty of quality that helped mask an underlying problem. Eventually the dialogue seems to become very repetitive. After an hour I'd got bored of the whining of the protagonist and the sheer banality of his mate, with too few laughs to lift the movie from being dreary. Just because a movie has men wee-ing in it and talks about STI's doesn't make it edgy or even particularly clever and it certainly doesn't make it funny.5 stars isn't bad for me and its a nod to the positive aspects of the film. It's better than I could do, but it isn't good.

This film had me laughing from start to finish and there are enough clever plot turns to make it stand out from the usual type of Comedy Brit Flick. Phil McGinley, Emily Attack and Mark Stobbart are definitely actors to watch, all 3 of them carrying the film. Having said that, there are also some really brilliant moments involving the lead characters parents. That cringe worthy moment went future in laws discuss their beloved child's wedding.I will be really interested to see what the director Ben Cookson comes up with next. He has a natural flair for creating comedy with the camera and the locations/scene settings really add to the overall impact of the film.Recommend this film wholeheartedly.Should be at a cinema...on your TV sometime soon

I was lucky enough to be invited to a private screening of Almost Married, I didn't know what to expect as this is director Ben Cookson's first film and I admit I wasn't going into the cinema with any great expectations. What I was treated to was both surprising and extremely satisfying. Almost Married isn't afraid to shock the viewer, with scenes of male urination and visits to GUM clinics, although none of this is done gratuitously, what AM does so brilliantly is to address issues that are relevant in today's society, it does it with a cheeky smile on it's face and some crude jokes along the way. STDs and binge drinking are as much a part of British culture as Strawberries at Wimbledon and Fish and chips on Margate beach are now a days, so it's refreshing for a film to be brave enough to highlight these issues. It would have been easy for AM descend into ever increasing crudeness for crudeness' sake, thankfully this is simply not the case, the issues are handled with a degree of sensitivity and at times tenderness that is virtually always missing from low budget Brit comedy Flicks such as this one. Emily Attacks' performance was fantastic, giving the viewer laughs as well as moments of genuine emotion as she realises the relationship she loves so much is ebbing away from her. The two leading men play off each other brilliantly, Philip McGinley is perfectly cast as our protagonist, the desperate Kyle, who concedes to having made a huge mistake on his Stag do and will do (pretty much) anything to avoid telling his wife to be that he has contracted an STD. Mark Stobbart provides the majority of the laugh out loud moments as Kyle's sidekick, the outrageous, outspoken Jarvis, who conjures up increasingly interesting ideas to get Kyle off the hook and out of trouble, his unique wisdom and words of advice make for some extremely funny moments. The entire cast manage to keep the balance between funny and tender perfectly, even scenes involving prostitutes in a brothel are handled with maturity and discernment. The final scene of the film throws up an unexpected and brilliant twist that you won't see coming. I left the cinema with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction after 97 minutes of pure entertainment. In short, this is a superb directorial debut and I would recommend anyone to go and see it, you won't be disappointed. Bravo Ben Cookson, I for one am excited to see what your next venture will be. This will surely be the start of a long and successful career in film.