Review of Skeletons (2010) by Dave J — 24 Aug 2010
A charming slice of very English whimsy about a mismatched team of supernatural practitioners who use a mysterious 'procedure' to bring people's secrets to light by entering their darkest memories.
The story is played largely for laughs, but it raises interesting questions about the price we pay for privacy and the power of bad memories. There's some lovely dialogue between the eccentric exorcists, the driven and addiction-addled Davis (Ed Gaughan) and the kindly, bumbling Bennett (Andrew Buckley), as they seek the missing husband of Jane (Paprika Steen), who matches them for strangeness.
Her daughter Rebecca (the splendidly-named Tuppence Middleton) initially seems to be just a stereotypical surly teenager, but is soon revealed to have a lot in common with Davis and Bennett. Jason Isaacs is great as The Colonel, the exorcists' demanding boss; it's hard to believe that this twitchy figure in a flat cap is played by the man who becomes the icy patrician Lucius Malfoy for the Harry Potter films.
The plot of 'Skeletons' perhaps goes a bit too far into gratuitous wackiness here and there, to the point where the actors can be seen straining to play it seriously; but it's still brilliantly inventive, hugely enjoyable and probably a future cult favourite.
This review of Skeletons (2010) was written by Dave J on 24 Aug 2010.
Skeletons has generally received positive reviews.
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