Review: Cemetery Junction

Those of you who know me, know I'm not a big fan of Ricky Gervais' work. I did enjoy elements of The Office but after that Gervais' ego got too much for him and he became obssessed with impressing his Ameircan film star fans with stuff like Extras and his first feature film as writer - The Invention of Lying. Gervais has now reunited with writing partner Stephen Merchant as the co-write and co-direct this story of living in a small suburb of Reading in the 1970s. Instead of putting himself first Gervais stands at the sidelines instead casting three relative newcomers to the big screen as Freddie, Bruce and Snork three friends in their early twenties all disenchanted with their lives for one reason or another and wanting to change things. Freddie doesn't want to work in a factory like his dad (played by Gervais) and instead decides to work selling life insurance for the father of one of Julie, his former female classmates who he obviously falls head over heels with but there is a stumbling block in the form of the firm's top salesman who is engaged to Julie. Meanwhile Bruce is the rebellious one, picking fights and ending up in police cells he is disappointed that his father didn't do anything when he found out that Bruce's mother was unfaithful. Finally Snork is the comedy character, the butt of everyone's jokes and the one who desperately wants to find love.

In its larger plot points you kind of no where the film is going to go to an extent and you know where the characters are going to end up. But this isn't about the overall destination of the film its about the journey and that journey is absolutely brilliant. The aestethic details of the film are brilliant from the nightclubs, to the insurace sales ballroom and the station cafe where the trio hang out everything is presented with presicion. This is seen in the houses of the central characters while Freddie's house is hectic and full of nagging from his dad, his mum and his nan it is clear that their is love at the centre of this family and it almost plays like an old-school sitcom, this is than transposed with Bruce's living room where his dad sits and drinks and watches telly all day and there is barely any communication while Julie's house is full of expensive things but a cold atmosphere. The period detail is also seen in the music and it is clear that Gervais and Merchant picked the soundtrack everything is there from the classic rock of Mott the Hoople and Slade to disco and more poppy numbers as well. There are also period references in the script while an in-joke about Elton John looking for a wife is funny I think Gervais and Merchant did well to not be too knowing with the period film. Instead there is a lot about the sexism and racism that existed at the time and certainly in the case of Julie and her mother there were something to be said about whether women should be working or starting a family.

The script has a clear narrative giving us three characters with goals either big or small and each with their own plot strand. While the two writers would probably like to convince us that they were like pretty-boy Freddie or brooding rebel Bruce its more likely that the role of Snork was more based on their childhood exploits. Although Snork is mainly there as the comic relief he also has a little romantic subplot which is very sweet. All four of the younger cast-members have cut their teeth in TV Christian Cooke in particular will be recognisable to ITV watchers for his roles in stinkers like Demons, Trinity and Echo Beach while Tom Hughes co-starred in Trinity and Jack Doolan stars in Only Fools and Horses spin-off The Green Green Grass. All three are splendid Hughes in particular stood out for me taking something of the indie-musician attitude of today's youth and combining it with the attitude of the 1970s while Cooke is the film's moral heart and Doolan is a comic mastermind. Felicity Jones more than holds her own as Julie, while of the supporting cast it is Emily Watson who is the standout as Julie's mother she conveys so much emotion without doing much at all. While Gervais doesn't outstay his welcome as Freddie's dad and an almost unrecognisable Anne Reid has fun as Freddie's nan.

Alltogether a very well made and well constructed labour of love for Gervais and Merchant which works as a coming-of-age film and a period piece about what life was like in an English small town in the 1970s. As much as I'm pained to admit I've actually thoroughly enjoyed something that Ricky Gervais has created and that's because this is not for once a vanity project but indeed something that I think he's wanted to make ever since he broke into the industry.