Canadian Cinema Editors Award |
| Best Editing in Feature Film |
The Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film |
Evening Standard British Film Award |
| Best Comedy |
Audience Award |
Mommie Dearest Worst Screen Mom of the Year Award |
This is a funny noir comedy, well made with an excellent cast. I really like Carlyle so I could not be completely impartial.
Looking for a film which isn't sat on a picket fence, or a CGI squeezed bag of eye hurt, then this could amuse you for the 90 minutes. Don't forget to plug the Scottish babel fish in before the film starts.
The titular Barney Thomson (Robert Carlyle) is a less than friendly man, he complains about many things and is generally unapproachable. One day he stumbles upon a series of hazardously unfortunate events which lead him into awkward world of crime.
Firstly, I have immense high regard for the four principal actors in this film namely, Robert Carlyle, Ray Winstone, Tom Courtennay and Emma Thompson. Their resumes' over the years have been the envy of any aspiring actor/actress.
Robert Carlyle's directional debut The Legend Of Barney Thomsen is as pitch friggin black as dark comedies get, and is a side splitting royal circus of cheekily depressing, gloriously gory antics that would make the inhabitants of Fargo run for cover. It also has the distinct flavour of Scotland on its side, every character articulating with a soup thick, snark oozing brogue that throws a devilishly funny haze over the already hilarious comic material.
This is not a film for everyone, specially the swearing. I found it hilarious at times, serious at others, yet when all is said and done there was an undertone of reality that seemed too surreal in its absurdity.
At twelve minutes and thirty two seconds I had to abandon this film secure in my new found belief that all of Scotland has something stuck in their throat.I have a serious aversion to subtitles because if I want to read, I know where books are located.
Robert Carlyle is Barney Thomson, a 50 something loner and mama's boy who works as a barber in Glasgow. His mother is played by Emma Thompson, who is magnificent as a hard drinking, chain smoking compulsive gambler.
I don't know why it is but when actors go north of the border they seem to become virtually incoherent.Though maybe it was for that reason they cast Ray Winstone.
