On my recent flight back from “the continent,” Virgin Atlantic provided some excellent viewing options, and I availed myself of two recent British offerings that carry on in the tradition of Billy Elliot and The Fully Monty both together and respectively. Though neither is as good – neither will match their predecessor’s Oscar performance – both offer a rollicking good time. I start with Very Annie Mary, the second Late Night Shopping will follow if epinions ever gets its act together and gives me a place to post it.

While Hollywood amidst a booming American economy has been keen in recent times to focus on spoiled Beverly Hills teenagers, Hollywood starlets, New York power brokers, or high profile war heroes, recent British films have gained acclaim portraying the trampled and dispossessed whether they are unemployed steelworkers in The Full Monty, striking factory workers in Billy Elliot or night shift clock-watchers in Late Night Shopping.

Whereas Late Night Shopping is populated with one-note characters, Very Annie Mary is stocked with characters amazingly complex. This depth and heart is where the magic of Very Annie Mary derives.

The film opens with Jack Pughs – played by the consummate Jonathan Pryce – driving through the Rhondda Valley countryside in a beat-up delivery van equipped with loudspeakers, wearing a Pavarotti mask and exquisitely belting out the strains of Nessun Dorma. We soon find out that in addition to being the local baker of this small town, Pugh is also the “voice of the valley” with a voice that will “break your heart” who sees it as his duty to bring great music to the people, and revels in his local acclaim in this small Welsh town. Pryce plays this hard-nosed flirt of a baker incredibly well, whether through repressed sexual innuendo or by the overbearing way he treats his daughter.

The film’s focus is Pugh’s daughter whom you might have guessed is named Annie Mary. As the tagline goes, Annie Mary is 30 going on 16, though you might say 6 as her paddleball predilection and her bangs and princess Leia buns show. Since her mother passed away when she was 15 just as Annie Mary was to attend a prestigious music academy after winning an award for her own singing prowess, Annie Mary has since chosen to remain with her father, who has good intentionally cloistered her away, beating down her ambitions and demolishing her ego. Annie Mary has dreams of moving out, and dreams of attracting the attentions of local minister-boy Colin, but as ungainliness epitomized, Annie Mary lacks even the confidence to use her blue-ribbon singing voice. Annie Mary is played by Rachel Griffiths, whom I didn’t recognize is also the ultra-confident Brenda from HBO’s racy new “Six Feet Under,” the diametric opposite of the chronically shy and immature Annie Mary.

The town is populated by a vast assortment of quirky characters (as small towns are wont to have) particularly the two “puffs” (I love that word), Hob and Nob, and the children involved in the most hilarious scene of the film, who cameo an afore mentioned movie.

The story turns upon the town’s annual charity drive. This year, it is a drive to send Annie Mary’s best friend, chronically ill 16 year old Bethan to Disneyland. Through the antics the follow, we find Annie Mary finally blooming.

Very Annie Mary is a lovingly shot and directed film. Cinematography is lush though not spectacular. The music here, like Late Night Shopping is central and used tremendously well, whether it is the O Sole Mio of Carreras or the YMCA of the Village People. The lush score is by Oscar winning composer Stephen Warbeck of Shakespeare in Love fame.

Auteur Sara Sugarman provides a beautiful tale that exalts in music and exalts in voice. Like Billy Elliot, the message is to be yourself, despite the constraints society might impose. The journey as Annie Mary finds herself is a sight to behold.

Final Grade: B+

(You may have noticed that this was written was a companion review in mind for the film Late Night Shopping. Unfortunately, I was not able to post that review, as the category does not exist on epinions. Hopefully, that will be rectified soon.)


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS