It’s nearly a decade since Simon Amstell’s intermittently amusing sitcom, Grandma’s House, aired on BBC2. Amstell himself played the lead, a television presenter struggling in both his personal life and in understanding what direction his professional life should take. Now Amstell writes and directs his first cinematically released movie.
Colin Morgan stars in the titular role, in what really is Amstell’s surrogate part. Benjamin is a film director filled with doubts about his second feature and starting a new relationship that seems to be bound to fail, just as all his previous ones have. So, all these years on, Amstell’s concerns and doubts seem to remain.
At least Amstell makes Benjamin‘s film a bit of a self indulgent turkey, as shown by a scene from the Kermode and Mayo radio show. However, after a promising start, this film starts to flounder in a similar way. Morgan isn’t bad, but his character is supremely annoying and I really lost patience before the end. Why every gay man he meets finds him irresistible is a bit of a mystery.
Interestingly, the female characters seem much more rounded even though they are all in supporting roles. Anna Chancellor and Michele Belgrand in particular really get their teeth into their roles. I am certain that Simon Amstell is talented but he does need to widen his horizons beyond his introspective insecurities if he is truly to become a film maker to be reckoned with.
Rating: 6 out of 10