A Royal Night Out (12A.)
Directed by Julien Jarrold.
Starring Sarah Gadon, Jack Reynor, Bel Powley, Emily Watson, Rupert Everett and Roger Allam 100 mins
In cinemas exactly one week too late to coast in on the 70th anniversary of V.E. Day, this larky British comic fantasy that imagines the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret sneaking out of the Palace on the big night to join in the end of war revelry. Once out the two get separated and Liz spends the whole time trying to catch up with Mags at whatever party she's at, having commandeered a chippy, toff hating, AWOL soldier Jack (Reynor) to guide her around London.
This inversion of Home Alone has a bit of everything: Enid Blyton spiffing adventure, fish out of water romp, odd couple romcom, last night of freedom poignancy, even a touch of 80s yuppie nightmare. Plus there is a little detour to take in The King’s Speech with pater charging his young princess with telling him how is speech is received by his loyal subject. You can even stretch the point and call it an origins tale as it is implied that this night of adventure will be a formative experience for the future queen, the Batman Begins of monarchy.
It is based on a true story – but not really. It heaps on the coincidences and narrative contrivances with a sense of carefree entitlement. The dramatic impact of Her Majesty’s encounters with the reality of her subjects’ lives is lessened somewhat by all of them being caricatures: different spivs, honourable proles, arrogant aristos or chinless wonder. No wonder Royals look down on us if that is all they experience.
There is something inherently British in the way the film is irreverent, in the most reverent way possible. It has lots of fun with the Royal's starchy manners and how out-of-touch they are with the basic aspects of everyday life, but in a doffed cap kind of way. Its loyalty to the institution of monarchy is never in doubt. Yet, isn’t there something rather cruel about the knowing laughs raised every time Margaret reaches for another pink gin?
A Royal Night Out is one of those films that you can’t really win with as a reviewer. It’s so harmless and light that you are a grump for criticizing a film that many people will pass the time agreeably with. But simply taking it on its just-a-light-and-harmless-bit-of-fun feels a dereliction of duty, like your making do with inferior goods. The film’s one indisputable merit is a splendid, and totally out of the blue, performance by Sarah Gadon as Elizabeth, a Canadian who is a regular in Cronenberg films.
Directed by Julien Jarrold.
Starring Sarah Gadon, Jack Reynor, Bel Powley, Emily Watson, Rupert Everett and Roger Allam 100 mins
In cinemas exactly one week too late to coast in on the 70th anniversary of V.E. Day, this larky British comic fantasy that imagines the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret sneaking out of the Palace on the big night to join in the end of war revelry. Once out the two get separated and Liz spends the whole time trying to catch up with Mags at whatever party she's at, having commandeered a chippy, toff hating, AWOL soldier Jack (Reynor) to guide her around London.
This inversion of Home Alone has a bit of everything: Enid Blyton spiffing adventure, fish out of water romp, odd couple romcom, last night of freedom poignancy, even a touch of 80s yuppie nightmare. Plus there is a little detour to take in The King’s Speech with pater charging his young princess with telling him how is speech is received by his loyal subject. You can even stretch the point and call it an origins tale as it is implied that this night of adventure will be a formative experience for the future queen, the Batman Begins of monarchy.
It is based on a true story – but not really. It heaps on the coincidences and narrative contrivances with a sense of carefree entitlement. The dramatic impact of Her Majesty’s encounters with the reality of her subjects’ lives is lessened somewhat by all of them being caricatures: different spivs, honourable proles, arrogant aristos or chinless wonder. No wonder Royals look down on us if that is all they experience.
There is something inherently British in the way the film is irreverent, in the most reverent way possible. It has lots of fun with the Royal's starchy manners and how out-of-touch they are with the basic aspects of everyday life, but in a doffed cap kind of way. Its loyalty to the institution of monarchy is never in doubt. Yet, isn’t there something rather cruel about the knowing laughs raised every time Margaret reaches for another pink gin?
A Royal Night Out is one of those films that you can’t really win with as a reviewer. It’s so harmless and light that you are a grump for criticizing a film that many people will pass the time agreeably with. But simply taking it on its just-a-light-and-harmless-bit-of-fun feels a dereliction of duty, like your making do with inferior goods. The film’s one indisputable merit is a splendid, and totally out of the blue, performance by Sarah Gadon as Elizabeth, a Canadian who is a regular in Cronenberg films.