Some hectic positive PR on social media by those closely involved and by fans of those people, is understandable but, for me, the film lacks enough of what it takes to elevate it to the ranks of the very good. The basic plot and sub plots, contemporary in tone, give rise to the potential for character development and also for witty, sometimes acerbic ripostes, and even several challenging viewpoints. Some of these potentials are realised while others fall with a bit of a clang. As for the unexpected twist, it came as no surprise to me, and I'm certainly not psychic! It was well handled and beautifully acted. The cast is mostly impressive, especially David Warner, Gemma Jones and Sarah Parish who are outstanding. The Who family, indeed, is strongly represented in general, which may or may not be always a good thing. But something doesn't gel. As others have said, strangely, the main pairing have little to no chemistry with each other so, for me, their very relationship defies credulity and I found it hard to care about either of them. David Tennant, who could never turn in a less than committed performance, does a sterling job but is ultimately wasted. Honestly, any competent actor between 30 and 50 could have played John. Being the Name needed, I presume, to encourage investors, is all very well but I hope it does not come with too high a price in time and effort. I've seen several of Ms Aitkin's short films and have found each of them to be thought-provoking, entertaining, well conceived, well written and well made. This is apparently her first full length feature. While it left me feeling mostly less than exhilarated, she is definitely a talented new film maker with real potential, having a distinctive wit along with a strong eye for the foibles of the human condition. I wish her every good fortune for her future in the industry.
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