Film: Tamara Drew
Cast includes: Gemma Arterton (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Times), Roger Allem (The Queen), Dominic Cooper (An Education), Luke Evans (Clash of the Titans), Tamsin Greig (Emma PBS)
Direction: Stephen Frears (High Fidelity)
Genre: Comedy/Romance/Farce
Based on a graphic novel by Posy Simmonds (2010)
In brief: It’s summer in this storybook-perfect English village. Beth and Nicholas have turned their farm into a writers’ retreat, and Beth happily plays hostess to an assortment of self-absorbed aspiring authors. Nicholas is a much published author of cheesy detective novels. And while the others may not respect his writing, they certainly respect his success. Except for Nicholas’s philandering, life is rather uneventful in this bucolic village… which is exactly as it should be. Watching Andy, the local hunk, working around the farm is just about the most exciting thing that ever happens… until Tamara Drew returns. “She was always such a sad girl,” Beth comments when she learns that Tamara is back.
But “sad” certainly isn’t the way most would describe Tamara these days. “What happened to your nose?” one villager asks. “It was taken by aliens,” says Tamara. Once an ugly duckling, the best way to describe Tamara these days is “hot.” Now a journalist and aspiring writer herself, Tamara has returned to shape up and sell her childhood home. She manages to get Andy to help her with the house, and we soon learn that Tamara and Andy once had a fling. But Tamara’s not the sentimental type. Before long she meets and falls for Ben, the bad-boy drummer in a punk rock band. Tamara isn’t the only one who’s fallen for Ben. Two local teenaged girls pour over fan magazines and follow Ben’s every move… and now Ben is spending time in their dull little hamlet. “Oh my God!”
By autumn, it seems like everyone in town is a player in a convoluted love triangle… no, not a triangle… more like a hexagon or octagon. The story line is a throwback to the romantic farces of times gone by. And the production style is perfect for a 19th century gothic novel with an ironic, modern twist. The film is based on a serialized graphic novel that ran in The Guardian, starting in 2005. Author and illustrator, Posy Simmonds, specializes in poking fun at the English middle class, especially those in literary circles. While Tamara is a doomed heroine, she’s also wonderfully appealing. “Life sure comes easy for the beautiful,” someone tells Tamara. But Tamara remembers a time when she wasn’t beautiful. And she used to be taken seriously. What will it take for the beautiful version of Tamara to be taken seriously?
3 popped kernels
Charming, engaging, and down-right silly… an enjoyable diversion
Popcorn Profile
Rated: R
Primary Audience: Grown-ups
Gender Appeal: Any audience
Distribution: Art house
Mood: Upbeat
Tempo: Zips right along
Visual Style: High-end production
Character Development: Engaging
Language: Irreverent
Social Significance: Pure entertainment
