Driving Lessons film review

certificate_15

DRIVING LESSONS

A twee British comedy, Driving Lessons is the kind of film that creates what the industry calls 'buzz', largely thanks to its cast and the forlorn hope that we will have another Full Monty on our hands. But, like films such as Kinky Boots, Lucky Break and Wondrous Oblivion before it, it's likely to have a short-lived run at the cinema. Director Jeremy Brock (a writer of the likes of Casualty as well as the Oscar-nominated Mrs Brown) makes his debut behind the camera, but fails to lift his own material out of the ordinary.

Although billed as a comedy, the first thing to note about Driving Lessons is that there are actually very few laughs. That's not to say that the tone isn't light though: Rupert Grint stars as Ben Marshall, a boy on the brink of manhood, frustrated by living at home in a claustrophobic religious environment. His father is the local vicar while his mother (Laura Linney inexplicably cast in an English role) makes cakes and teas for the parish, as well as housing whichever stray takes her fancy.

Seeking solace, as well as some money for the summer holidays, Ben takes a job as a gardener to the eccentric if ageing actress Evie Walton (Julie Walters). Evie is living on past glories but takes gentle Ben under her wing. Soon they are off on an adventure which sees them driving the length of Britain and ending up at the Edinburgh festival. A girl is involved, and the lessons of the title are inevitably learnt.

Walters makes no attempt to rein in her character and reprises the Mrs Overall type that brought her so much credit on Victoria Wood's show. The trouble is though that her efforts result in a one-dimensional performance which overshadows everybody else and upsets the balance and tone of the piece. Grint is a likeable enough screen presence, but any attempt at making the film his own prove somewhat futile in the company of his rather extravagant co-star.

All in all, an occasionally successful coming-of-age story which has been compared to the great American picture Harold and Maude, and which suffers enormously from any such comparison. Jeremy Brock may have passed his test as a screenwriter, but as a director he may need a second attempt.

Paul Hurley