“Queen and Country” – Trite and True [MOVIE REVIEW]
(L-R) Callum Turner (Bill Rohan) dancing with Aimee-Ffion Edwards (Sophie Adams) and Miriam Rizea (Peggy) dancing with Richard E. Grant (Major Cross) – ©Sophie Mutevelian. Courtesy of BBC Worldwide North America
“Queen and Country,” a sweet little film by the estimable writer/director John Boorman, whose 60 years as a filmmaker includes “Point Blank” (1967), “Deliverance” (1972), “Excaliber” (1981) and “The General” (1998) has finally produced the follow-up to his sweet-tart autobiographical film “Hope and Glory” (1987) in which he told his own story about growing up as a child in London during the Blitz. An award-winning film, “Hope and Glory” ended as the 9 year old protagonist, Bill Rohan, rejoices in his luck when his school is bombed to smithereens. His already marvelously chaotic life will continue in that vein for some time to come. “Queen and Country” takes up the life of Bill Rohan nine years later when he has been drafted for service in the Korean War.
It is not stating the bleeding obvious, as John Cleese might say, to indicate how personal this film is to Boorman. It is, after all, autobiographical reflecting his mind-set at the time, or at least his mind-set in reflection.
Leaving behind his idyllic life in a comfy manor house on the Thames, life in boot camp is an ice cold blast of water on his warm nostalgic face. The camp is dirty, claustrophobic and populated with conscripts from all strata of society being led through seemingly pointless and grueling exercises by their martinet of a leader, Sergeant Major Bradley (an outstanding David Thewlis). Bill immediately bonds with a fellow outcast, Percy Hapgood and they set out to undermine army procedure as best they can. Bill, a self-defined anarchist is nothing compared to Percy who can escalate a situation with the raising of an eyebrow. Bradley is determined to dampen their high jinx and cites them for whatever he can, repeatedly, much to the chagrin of his commanding officer Major Cross.
Each young man has his folie d’amour and each young man has heartbreaks. But driving the action is their determination to undermine and exact revenge on Bradley. The thoroughness of the humiliation gives the film its only edge as, in the end, no one comes out unscathed.
Boorman’s story is rather good and it plays out well. The problem, however, is that, unlike young Bill in “Hope and Glory,” there is no rooting interest here. Certainly there is an existential comedy of cruelty, there is love won and love lost, there is sex and drama, but without the necessary character development there is no lasting impact.
Bill’s best friend Percy has the juiciest role as he is perpetrator of most of the pranks but short of chaos for the sake of chaos, we have no idea of the how and why of his personality. He is angry at society in general, but scratch below the surface and there is no there there. And what a pity that is because he is the active agent against which all others react. Bill, the protagonist, is a responder, never really the agitator, more the passive observer and as such comes off as rather opportunistic and benign.
The acting, for the most part, is good but only occasionally does it rise above that. Richard E. Grant as Major Cross makes exasperation a high art and Julian Wadham, an underused British character actor, steals the spotlight in his short court martial scene as Colonel Fielding, the presiding judge. And watch out for the hilariously diabolical Pat Shortt as Private Redmond, the manipulator’s manipulator.
It is, as noted previously, David Thewlis as the career army dictator, Sargent Major Bradley, who stands out. His character’s rigidity drives the action and ultimately the empathy. It is unfortunate that much of the explanation for his character’s behavior is revealed in a single expositional scene rather than slowly revealed over time. Still, Thewlis commands the screen whenever he appears, and often when he doesn’t.
Much like a three-course take-out Chinese dinner with its starter, main course and dessert, the beginning, middle and end of the film are delicious and entertaining at the time but leave no lasting impression or longing for more.
Opening Friday February 27 at the Laemmle Royal, Playhouse 7 and Town Center 5.