Review of Cemetery Junction (2010) by Cory W — 20 Aug 2010

A film made by British comedic masterminds Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant had me thinking I was in store for a laugh-fest, but boy, was I wrong. "Cemetery Junction" is a sweetly affecting coming of age story that hosts a great cast and surprisingly good direction by Gervais and Merchant.

The film centers around three young men who live the high life while wanting to escape their sleepy village of a town. The main youth Freddie (played by Christian Cooke-a newcomer to keep an eye on) is the most goal-oriented of the pack, but his world is flipped upside-down by his boss' daughter.

This is a rich dramedy that shows that Gervais and Merchant can go outside the world of subtle comedy and into a more serious world. Ralph Fiennes and Matthew Goode all do a great part in supporting the cast.

The one bone I had to pick with this film is that I feel that the humor, at times, didn't work for the subject matter. We can go from a sexual joke involving some risque graffiti art on a billboard to a serious situation where one of our protagonists must make a life-altering decision.

This is a coming-of-age story where, surprisingly, a straight-up drama would have worked better (in example-"An Education"). But nevertheless, this is a solid effort that proves to be an entertaining watch.

Overall, Gervais and Merchant have hit a new level with "Cemetery Junction".