Better late than never.
For a film that was funded by Ireland and Georgia and is considered to be predominantly be a European film or Irish and Georgian film, it really does feel, look and act very British. From the dark humour to the casting to how the plot rolls out, its hard to ignore the British-ness that other films have taken time and effort over.
For a film that was funded by Ireland and Georgia and is considered to be predominantly be a European film or Irish and Georgian film, it really does feel, look and act very British. From the dark humour to the casting to how the plot rolls out, its hard to ignore the British-ness that other films have taken time and effort over.
Kate is a PR manager for rockstar Harry Hope and is in need of good publicity for him. When war breaks out between Georgia and Uzbek, she immediately takes action and starts to set up a peace concert in Hope’s name. The media machine gets rolling and the fans are excited, word spreads but then, disaster, the two warring countries declare peace So, Kate and her team, plus her little sister, keen to get involved, go to Georgia to create fake news to generate interest again and claim that the war is still happening. Of course, things do not go according to plan.
Making a film about a fake war as a PR stunt to further someone’s career is bleak and has the danger to be taken as poor taste. But luckily the film is in safe comedic hands. It is bleak at times because its about war but it is made of the blackest darkest comedy and the winning result is actually funny. Just because its a comedy doesn’t mean there aren’t deaths and moments where you questions yourself for laughing. Having Katherine Parkinson yell ‘We’re BRITISH WOMEN’ is one of the best moments in the film as it pretty much sums up how Brits are. We want our opinion heard and we want to make sure everyone knows where we’re from, like it is an exception to a rule. When the peace between countries is called off due to the successful fake news being generated and the war continues, Kate and her team literally end up in the crossfire and separated. Kate and her sister Peggy (Lily Newmark) end up on their own long way to the boarder and the to freedom after they are captured for being the leader of the resistance, the chaos and turmoil let alone confusion she and her team have caused is finally looked at in perspective. Her need to do a good job and go to any lengths to make her client happy caused a war. It’s dark but its funny that it all happened.
The downside to the story is the side plot about Kate and her sister Peggy and some home truths, Eastenders style, are revealed. It doesn’t add anything to the film as a whole and on its own, no one really cares, not even the characters who it effects as the end of the day. It instead makes the plot stutter along until it is finally swept away with the big meeting at the border.
The hope that this film could find an audience is slim due its dark comedic nature and it would need to be released with care, just in case any world events may make seem, again, in poor taste. But I am positive it will find a worthy audience that would make their dark hearts laugh.
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