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Long Way Back

3/10

Stars: Tristan Sturrock, Chloe Endean, Susan Penhaligon, Kate Edney, Esther Hall

Director: Brett Harvey

A depressing and grindingly slow road movie that will have you imploring the filmmaker to get on with it. Alas, almost half the picture seems to consist of the two main protagonists travelling along in their clapped-out car, not saying anything.

Cinematographer Adam Laity contributes some nice widescreen shots of the English countryside as the dysfunctional couple journey down towards Cornwall, and, boy, do we see a lot of it. You could even count the sheep on display to stop yourself going to sleep.

Still, the director adds several scenes of characters being sick to liven things up if that's your bag.

David (Sturrock), a dishevelled alcoholic wreck of a man, living on memories of gigs on the road, anecdotes from which he inflicts on his estranged 19-year-old daughter (Endean), arrives to take the girl back to her mother after her having to leave university in 'tragic circumstances' (I must have dropped off when these were explained).

One of their (dull) stops in the way involves a visit to her grandmother (Penhaligon) where they have to sleep on the floor as she's about to move.

Things do come together nicely (if predictably) at the end, but, for this critic, it was too little and too late. The acting's fine, but the film's entertainment value is very low. There is no copyright date on the end of this picture.

David Quinlan

UK 2022. UK Distributor: O-Region. Colour (unspecified).
94 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 29 Aug 2022