Review of Sunshine on Leith (2013) by Peter C — 07 Oct 2013

An old naval friend who used to sail out of the Port of Leith has a saying: "There are two kinds of people in this world: those who come from Leith and those who would like to". Having lived at the foot of Leith Walk for nigh on two years, I beg to differ. But, after watching the Sunshine (quite literally and for an unusually lengthy period of time it has to be said) On Leith, you'd be hard pushed not to concur.

To say it is a feel-good film is a gross understatement. It is an if-you-don't-feel-good-about-yourself-and-life-in-general-after-watching-this-film-then-you-should-just-book-a-one-way-ticket-to-Dignitas-pronto kind of film.

You will come out smiling. You will come out feeling happier than you did before you went in. You will, you will, you will, you will, you will.

That said, after the first half an hour of relentless sweetness and light you would be forgiven for looking at your watch and thinking, "Okay, when do the wheels come off the over-time and over-budget tram cart? When do the knickers come off the Salamander Street tart? When do the Bank of Scotland fireworks start?" A couple of the early lovey-dovey scenes and songs could have been trimmed or cut. The gist was got.

When the film does get going though, Good Golly Miss Molly it fair plucks at the Heart of Midlothian strings. A marriage proposal goes horribly wrong ("I hope you kept the receipt," chirps in one sarcastic onlooker). A good old-fashioned fisticuffs ensues during which the jilted partner's best friend almost lamps his newfound lover? And, in the background of all the mayhem, a dutiful wife celebrating her silver wedding anniversary discovers a letter in the inside pocket of her husband's suit jacket which reveals he had an affair which resulted in the birth of a bastard child. Needless to say, the excrement hits the air extractor.

"Why do we stay together? What if it is just habit? What if we are too frightened to do anything else?".

What makes the film so watchable and so workable is ultimately the understated direction and performances. Yes, songs and the odd dance are unashamedly shoe-horned in. For example, a daughter plans on studying nursing in Florida, so cue "When You Go Will You Send Back A Letter From America". But the words and gestures are rooted in character, they have real depth and meaning, and are performed with great sensitivity and emotional honesty.

And let's not undervalue the often derided (wrongfully in my opinion) and deceptively simple yet skilfully constructed hit songs by The Proclaimers which fair pack a punch. Most notably the title track sung beautifully and heartbreakingly by Jane Horrocks's character as she sits at the hospital bedside of her lying, cheating, remorseful husband played with great warmth and humanity by the ever excellent Peter Mullan.

All that glitters is not gold though. The finale and some of the musical numbers would have benefitted from a bolder execution. Why not have all of Princes Street jam-tart-packed with real or digitally generated dancers, rather than just the piazza next to The Mound? (Budget, or the lack thereof, methinks.) And the beginning would have benefitted from a curtailment of excessive lovey-doveyness. But that is just nit-picking on my part. And, as Peter Mullan's character concluded, you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, well you might find you get what you need: "I wanted your mother, I wanted kids and I wanted Hibs to win the league - two out of three isn't bad.".

Sunshine On Leith is a fine feel-good film. Written, directed and performed with so much heart and no less humour A real breath of fresh air in Scottish filmmaking.

As my old naval friend used to sing after several pints of Mick Jagger: I Can't Stop Loving You, I've Made Up My Mind".

4/5.