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Festival
2005
Every year, thousands of wannabe's, has-beens and never-will-be's descend on Scotland for the Edinburgh festival. Away from the more commercial side of the festival - where comedians you've actually heard of will be competing for awards - the Edinburgh Fringe is the section of the festival where unknowns will be staging obscure .. Read more
| Starring | Stephen Mangan, Daniela Nardini, Amelia Bullmore, Raquel Cassidy |
|---|---|
| Director | Annie Griffin |
| Genres | Audio Descriptive, Comedy |
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Festival
Every year, thousands of wannabe's, has-beens and never-will-be's descend on Scotland for the Edinburgh festival. Away from the more commercial side of the festival - where comedians you've actually heard of will be competing for awards - the Edinburgh Fringe is the section of the festival where unknowns will be staging obscure shows in the hope that their big break is just around the corner. 'Festival', a rambling new black comedy from 'The Book Group' creator Angie Griffin, follows a number of disparate characters who are connected to the Fringe in some way, from performers to judges, and charts the fluctuating emotions which they experience...
| Starring | Stephen Mangan, Daniela Nardini, Amelia Bullmore, Raquel Cassidy, Lyndsey Marshal |
|---|---|
| Director | Annie Griffin |
| Studio | PATHE DISTRIBUTION |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 47 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Audio Descriptive, Comedy |
| Language | English, English Audio Description |
| Released | DVD: 28 Nov 2005 Production year: 2005 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews
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On the back of her acclaimed Channel 4 series The Book Club, expectations were high for writer-director Annie... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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19 out of 26 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Festival
Rubbish? No. Terrible? No. Godawful? Not strong enough. I am in an odd position, I'm almost at a loss for the words to encompass just how jaw-slackeningly astoundingly dreadful Festival really is. The film follows, at a conservative estimate, 704 characters (comedians, journalists acotrs etc) through one Edinburgh festival. You'd think this would be fun, a film about the run up to a comedy award, written and directed by the creator of acclaimed Channel 4 comedy The Book Group. That, at least, is the trap I fell in. Festival is allegedly a comedy so here's the big problem: Schindlers List had more laughs. The stand up routines we have to endure as judges watch in order to put together an award shortlist are so shoddy and out of date they'd struggle to pass muster at a local pub's new talent night in 1990. To listen to the drivel these horribly unfunny characters spout and then hear them acclaimed as great comics is laughable (and NOT in the way Annie Griffin wants it to be). The other productions we watch are just as terrible, the absolute nadir being a shockingly pretentious and banal show by three American actors who are shockingly pretentious and banal every time they are on screen and, like everyone else in the film, you'll want to kill after five seconds in their company. Really, I understand that Griffin is saying 'look at what rubbish gets celebrated here' but GOD would it have hurt to have ONE watchable act in the whole sodding thing? It's a shame Festival is so unremittimgly horrid in every way because at least one person in it deserves better. Daniella Nardini is a fine actress (though you'd never spot it from this) she was terrific in This Life and really needs to pick better films. Annie Griffin Directs, if possible, with less flair and ability than she writes. It's an ugly film and feels for all the world like it's been put together by some destined-to-fail film students as a dare. So; avoid Festival, by any and all means possible. It really is THAT bad.
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Most recent members' review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Deeper than comedy.
I guess you would think that with such a cast (leading lights from The IT Crowd, Green Wing, Teachers, Peep Show, That Peter Kay Thing etc), Festival would be funny. Think again. It is funny in the way that life is funny, but it's not a Comedy. It's a film about what comedy is, who invents it, who watches it and who cares about it.
The characters include a puppet guy who likes being fisted, a no-brain blonde (who gets shown up in the best end sequence), a deeply sad and hurt wife, a strange little one-woman show, a pretend paedo-priest and a reassurance seeking Oirish. All of the above get in each others way, lend a helping hand and hurt each other a lot.
The film isn't pretentious, but many of the people in it are very much so, especially the Canadian house hoggers - although there is a point to it all. Watch it for laughs and you will be disappointed - watch it while thinking 'I wonder if this would have meant something to Tony Hancock before he killed himself?' and you will see an altogether better film. You have to think while watching Festival, but that may not be why you rented it. -
News and features
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Tarantino to be honoured with Douglas excellence award
- 27 Aug 2009
Quentin Tarantino is to receive the 2009 Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film at a pre-event for the 2010 Santa Barbara International Film Festival in California. Douglas has agreed to present the honour to the Inglourious Basterds director at a gala dinner on 22 October (09). Festival executive director Roger Durling says, "We are beyond excited to be able to honour a man who has turned filmmaking on its ear. He has forever changed the direction of American cinema." The 25th Santa... Read more
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Festival
Every year, thousands of wannabe's, has-beens and never-will-be's descend on Scotland for the Edinburgh festival. Away from the more commercial side of the festival - where comedians you've actually heard of will be competing for awards - the Edinburgh Fringe is the section of the festival where ...
-