Instant tonic for todays sour offerings

I'm just not sure that they produce films like this these days.

It is no coincidence that this and Whisky Galore rank amongst my favourite movies. There is something disarming and comforting to be had in a tale which seems to hark from an altogether different era; one where the simple everyday interactions of honest, lyrical and querky communal folk prove as charming and entertaining as any dish that today's Hollywood moguls can serve up.

The premise is simple; Major Texan Oil Company wishes to buy up beautiful stretch of Scottish coastline to build ugly refinery, charming village included. Locals, in the mistaken belief that a marine biology centre is to be built, band together in an effort to extract the maximum dollar out of the American executive sent to cut the deal.

No it's not an altogether plausible storyline. Perhaps there is a sniff of the unfeasible in the assortment of characters assembled before us. Yes, it's more than a little twee. But one should suspend disbelief and marvel at a piece of British cinematic history.

A warm, genuinely funny tale that provides an escape from the hard-edged offerings of today. A tale of ordinary folk living out ordinary lives who all unlitmately share a common love for the beautiful setting for this beautiful film.