Starring PAUL KAYE, JOHNNY VEGAS, JAMES CROMWELL, BERNARD CRIBBINS.
DIRECTED by MEL SMITH
From its dull-as-donkey-dung premise, bold Brit-flick 'Blackball' is the funniest movie of the year bar none.
Starring the truly brilliant Paul Kaye (who first came to prominence as spoof comedian 'Dennis Pennis,' and more recently as a serious actor in the acclaimed BBC drama series '2000 Acres of Sky'), in this movie he plays a scruffy dude - Cliff Starkey - who's been brought up with the clean-cut sport of bowls by his grandad, played coolly by Bernard Cribbins.
Kaye's character (actually based on a real-life, bowls-loving lout called Griff Sanders) lets his talent be shown and proceeds to win his way through the stuffy ranks of his local Torquay bowls club which upsets old coot & bowls winning-Vet James ('Babe') Cromwell no end� and before the rest of the UK knows it, Kaye has been transformed into the country's top sports-star, on a par with Becks - and arrogantly abreast the rest of the best of them.
Essentially a hell-fire comedy, the true beauty of this film lies in its realistic scenes of sheer drama that are borne out of the media circus that erupts around his hell-raising talents and the strain that's forced upon the perfectly portrayed relationships with both his girlfriend (who's played by the downright sexy-as-sin Alice Evans, in a modest 'down-to-earth' style), best mate (Vegas) and his grand-dad.
Although the reality is ultimately over-idealistic once Kaye and Cromwell pair-up in Blackball's zany climax to represent the UK & play against the 2 top Aussie bowlers (one of whom is ex-Neighbours dude Mark Little), and the few brash moments of crudeness might put some people off, this is just as funny as 'The Full Monty' and almost as affecting as 'Billy Elliot.'
So woe to all the critics who have slated this movie. Because I love it - and have endless reasons for doing so. Paul Kaye is the main reason; his talent for being both serious and funny - and sometimes both at the same time - is outstanding and would, if there was any justice, be honoured at the Oscars. No� seriously! 5/5 (Steve Rudd)