Review of Cemetery Junction

There is much to enjoy about this film, from its authentic early seventies look and feel, to the realistic dialogue of the period, and a script which is often a delight. It is much more than a romantic comedy, or a comedy drama, with its clever messages just as apt now as they were for the time the film personifies, and it is the inspired moments of direction by the writers which make it such a delight to watch.

I haven't always enjoyed the Gervais/Merchant partnership in operation perhaps because the subject matter is often just too clever for its own good. But this glimpse of out of town Reading clearly demonstrates how good Gervais and Merchant can be when opening our eyes to familiar fare from a slightly different perspective and their own devilishly cunning way of expressing all our faults. We are treated to territory that is always embarrassingly close to us, regardless of era.

The acting is classy from a very sure footed Christian Cooke as Freddie, an excellent Jack Doolan as Snork, a wonderfully expressive Felicity Jones as Julie, and all the support. I'd give each a mention were it not for the limited space. We are given a decent insight to each and every one of the characters on display and a chance to feel what they feel, and this is down to first class screenplay and direction.

Cemetery Junction isn't a great film but it is certainly good enough to receive seven out of ten.