directed by Nigel Cole
starring Brenda Blethyn, Craig Ferguson
I would have loved to see the writer's room after they thought of this one. "Hey, what about a movie about a widow who becomes a drug dealer to pay her debts?" Goodness, they must have taken the week off after that, just to celebrate the sheer hilarity. I will admit: this is the best film I have ever seen about a middle-aged British lady growing marijuana.
Brenda Blethyn is fantastic, as usual, as she goes from ignorant widow to confident criminal. (What she has in confidence, however, she absolutely lacks in street smarts; her initial visit to London exemplifies her ineptitude.) The supporting cast rounds out the town - a wonderful place, where everyone knows everybody's business and nobody cares, people are eccentric and good-hearted, and they all have awesome accents. It starts a bit slowly, but once it gets rolling, the film doesn't stop. It all culminates in a classic comic climax, with every character converging on a single spot and no one able to hide the truth.
But while it is a parody, the film also has a message: isn't Pot funny? And what a message it is. As the entire cast enjoys a silly afternoon at the film's climax, I couldn't help but note how the whole scene smelt of tipsiness. Sure, the film pokes fun at the ugly underbelly of illegal dealing, and it doesn't openly preach at any point. But by turning up maximum ridiculosity for the characters and their actions, it also exposes the ridiculousness of the world that they inhabit. It's amazing the craziness a few plants can inspire.
Up Next: Jane Eyre, Tree of Life, X-Men, Hamlet
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