What We Did On Our Holiday (2014)

From the creative team behind the British television comedy series Outnumbered comes a fantastic comedy with some beautiful messages behind it.

Doug Macleod (David Tennant) and his wife Abi (Rosamund Pike) are taking a road trip with their three children Lottie (Emilia Jones), Mickey (Bobby Smalldridge) and Jess (Harriet Turnbull) to the Scottish Highlands to celebrate Doug's father Gordie's (Billy Connolly) 75th birthday.

Gordie has late-stage cancer, and the family don't think he'll make it to his next birthday, so Doug's brother Gavin (Ben Miller) and his wife Margaret (Amelia Bullmore) are throwing him an enormous party, inviting well over two hundred people to celebrate with them.

The only trouble is, Gordie doesn't know that Doug and Abi are separated, and they would like to keep it that way. But keeping their children quiet about their situation is going to be far easier said than done.

On the day of his birthday party, Gordie takes the three children to his favourite beach where he used to go with his brother (who was killed in World War Two as a young man). While there, he passes away peacefully, and the children - unable to get the adults' attention, as everyone is too busy arguing - decide amongst themselves to give him the send-off he would have wanted.

I won't say any more about that, it will be far more enjoyable for you to discover it for yourself, but let's just say that it is unexpected, as anyone who has seen Outnumbered would suspect.

The writers, Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, who also directed the film, have written an amazing script, full of unique and hilarious comedy, but also littered with plenty of pathos. I suspect that they encouraged improvisation with their cast, as they did with Outnumbered, allowing the three children in particular to take scenes in directions that the adults perhaps did not expect. This means that the character's reactions are much more realistic, and the dialogue at no point feels stilted or unnatural.

One of the most beautiful things about this film is Martin Hawkins's cinematography. The shots of the scenery show an incredible expanse of landscape, and the lens just soaks up all that beautiful Scottish scenery. Otherwise, the camera shots are fairly standard, with nothing too outlandish or experimental in nature. Light and dark are contrasted and balanced well, making the film a joy to watch from a visual perspective as well as from a comedic perspective.

The music, by Alex Heffes, is very well composed, and used sparingly but beautifully. The score has a particularly British feel to it, as though one is listening to a piece by Handel or Elgar, with predominantly orchestral instruments used. From time to time, the music has more of a folk feel to it, but this is generally the exception rather than the rule.

All things considered, this is a very enjoyable film. It may not be the best film ever made, or even the best British film ever made, but it is nonetheless an enjoyable way to spend ninety minutes. If you haven't seen it, check it out, and be prepared to laugh until your sides hurt.

8 out of 10.

Brave (2012)

If there is one thing Merida (Kelly MacDonald) knows, it’s that she hates being a princess. She’d much rather be a warrior, and is a true ace with a bow and arrow.

Her father, King Fergus (Billy Connolly) is supportive of her decision, as far as it depends on him. The trouble is, it doesn’t just depend on him.

His wife, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson) believes quite strongly that women (and particularly princesses) shouldn’t use weapons, but should be proper ladies, and follow the long-held traditions of their Scottish clan Dun Broch.

To that end, Fergus and Elinor have sent word to the three other clan leaders Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane), MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd) and Macintosh (Craig Ferguson) that their daughter is of age, and is in need of a suitor.

They all show up at the castle, presenting their suitors to Merida, who couldn’t be more uninterested. After a huge argument with her mother, she runs away, and gets a spell from a witch (Julie Walters) to try and get her own way with Elinor.

The spell has disastrous consequences, and Merida and Elinor must join forces to break the spell before it’s too late.

Firstly, I want to say that computer animation (this is yet another Disney/Pixar film) has come quite a long way since the early days. The scenery and backgrounds in this film are so realistic, it is quite easy to forget you are watching an animated film. The opening shot of mountains and trees as the camera swoops down to ground level is a great example, and it only gets better from there.

The music (composed by Patrick Doyle) is well suited throughout, with the use of many Celtic instruments to give a strong sense of place, while at the same time not resorting to stereotypes. There are even three songs in the film (while it isn’t a musical as such, the songs accompany the action rather than being sung by characters), and these songs are fantastic, in particular the first one, which is still going around and around in my head as I write this.

The script by Mark Andrews & Steve Purcell and Brenda Chapman & Irene Mecchi (as with all Pixar films to date) has plenty for young and old viewers alike to enjoy. I love the inclusion of Merida’s three younger brothers, who provide excellent moments of comic relief throughout.

Andrews, Purcell and Chapman also directed the film, and they have done a fantastic job. There are some beautiful messages in this film about family and tradition, and stepping out on one’s own, and being brave (yes, the name of the film).

In the same way that the film Meet Joe Black will make you call your father and tell him you love him, this film will make you call your mother. (And if you do call her, tell her to watch the film, too!)

It may not be Pixar’s greatest film, but it is certainly better than some of them.

8 out of 10.