Review of Cemetery Junction (2010) by Darrie G — 07 Jan 2012

I really loved this film. It is set somewhere in a shabby southern outer London area in a dull time just as the glamour of the 60's was fading and before the punk explosion, it captures the drudgery and dreams of a group of 3 young men in potentially dead end situations.

It is quintessentially English (and southern) and I was really surprised at Gervais/Merchants sensitive and entertaining handling of it. As a fan of their comedy (up until 'Life's too Short') I didn't think they be able to do drama so well.

Especially moving is the scene where the local copper (in the days when they were still called Bobbies) sorts out the local angry young man, putting right his relationship with his father, by filling in in on few home truths, and the moment where the bosses (local boy made good) wife recalls when her husband stopped thanking her for his cup of tea every breakfast ("it was in 1964").

These are touching moments and the film is full of them as well as a lot of schoolboy humour/language etc which you might or might not find funny depending on your taste. The musical soundtrack is great trashy 70's rock (with a touch of pending disco), the fashions and cars familiar and I felt that although the female roles were unsubstantial there was a positive statement about women and their looming 'liberation' at home and work.

The commonplace casual racism of early 70's Britain is also captured but in a critical way. Ricky Gervais has a unique gifting, and a uniquely British take, and I hope he will create more stuff like this.