Film & TV

British Film Festival Review: How To Make Love Like An Englishman

A Cambridge lecturer beds and impregnates one of his students but after a chance meeting, he falls in love with her sister and they have a son together.

The British Film Festival continues with this lightweight comedy from director Tom Vaughn (What Happens In Vegas, Extraordinary Measures) starring Pierce Brosnan (who is also credited as executive producer) and a cast that should have delivered a much more satisfying film than it unfortunately is.

Brosnan plays Richard Haig, a Cambridge lecturer in Romantic poets (and who sees himself as somewhat of a modern day Lord Byron), who beds and impregnates Kate, one of his students (played by the eternally youthful Jessica Alba). By chance he meets her “sister” Olivia (Salma Hayek) and the two hit it off. Kate and Richard move to Los Angeles where they split up, but choose to stay in the same house for the benefit of their son, Jake.

The usual hijinks ensue with mix-ups and accidents that never stray very far from the standard modern comedy formula. The screenplay (by Matthew Newman) seems tired and clichéd for the most part and the cast (which also includes a great performance from Malcolm McDowell as Richard’s father and Marlee Matlin in a small cameo) do their absolute best to ignite the work. Both Alba and Hayek deliver strong performances throughout the film, as does Duncan Joiner who plays Jake.

What strains credibility the most is the casting. Brosnan looks every day of his 63 years in this and there seems little attempt to try and age him down. His father is played by an actor only ten years older than him and it also shows. The film moves along at a gentle enough pace but rarely seems to get out of first gear. The audience hardly get to see inside the characters and what motivates them and because of this we have little sympathy or understanding for any of them. There are far too many two-dimensional characters who interact with the leads in a major way – such as the fellow professors that Richard works with in both the UK and the USA.

That is not to say the film does not have its good points. The film is well shot with good use of location and the overall look of the film is top drawer. There are some good laughs too – they are just nowhere near as frequent as they were meant to be.

Ultimately, the film leaves one with a feeling of enormous potential wasted on a flimsy premise.

Reviewed by Rodney Hrvatin
Twitter: @wagnerfan74

Rating out of 10:  5

How To Make Love Like An Englishman will screen again on 6 & 7 November 2015 for the BBC First British Film Festival, which runs 28 October – 18 November 2015 exclusively at the Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas.

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